When Things Change
by Keitorin Asthore
Summary: They went their separate ways ten years ago. They're not the same children they used to be. Sokka never noticed Toph like he does now. There's only one problem- Toph's married to another man, and expecting his baby.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Avatar: the Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon and Bryke, not me.

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"Sokka, please," Katara said softly. She touched his arm lightly. "Please don't look like that."

Sokka glanced back at her. "You know I didn't want to come," he said.

"You couldn't stay there," Katara said. "Not in that empty house."

Sokka closed his eyes. "I know."

"Look who finished her lunch," Katara's husband said. He stepped into the room, his little daughter balanced on his hip.

Katara held out her arms. "Come to your mama," she cooed. "Were you a good girl and eat all your vegetables?"

"Yes!" Yonah said, nodding emphatically. She had her father's dark hair and her mother's clear eyes. Katara kissed her soft warm cheek. "I can play now?"

"You can play now," Katara said, sliding Yonah off her knees. The four-year-old scooted to the floor and made a beeline for the small chest of toys. Katara turned to her husband. "She didn't eat her vegetables, did she?"

"Not a one."

Sokka stretched his elbows. "So are we going to tour the village?" he asked.

"Yonah's not coming, is she, Zuko?" Katara said.

"We'll put Yonah down for a nap first, then we'll leave," Zuko said. "Sokka, do you want to put her to bed?"

Sokka knew without looking that Katara and Zuko were exchanging glances that meant "we should discuss your brother." He stood up "Sure," he said. He pulled his niece up and tossed her in the air, eliciting a loud burst of giggling. "Come on, Yonah, time for a nap."

"No, Uncle Sokka!" Yonah wailed, laughing as Sokka threw her over the shoulder. She pummeled his broad shoulders with tiny thumps that bounced off uselessly. He carried her into the nursery they'd set up in the rented house.

"All right, little princess," he said, setting her down in the crib. Yonah scowled in a manner quite reminiscent of her mother. Sokka pulled off the little girl's shoes. "Sleepy time."

"No," Yonah pouted.

"Yes," Sokka said. He closed the curtains, shadowing the room. Yonah yawned. He leaned over the crib and draped her blanket over her shoulders. "Goodnight, little one." She snuggled into her pillows as he closed the door behind him.

Katara curled up on Zuko's lap, tangling her fingers in his hair. Sokka cleared his throat. "Yonah's in her crib," he said.

"Sokka, I know you didn't want to come, but-"

Sokka waved his sister's hands away. "Let's just go, okay?" he said. "If Aang said we needed to check out this village for ourselves, obviously we to do it. So let's go."

Katara and Zuko exchanged another married-couple look. He ignored them and brushed past. They followed him.

"Aang told me this city has yet to recover from the war," Zuko said. He offered his arm to his wife and she took it gracefully. "Many people abandon their children and spouses in order to start a new life."

"That's awful," Katara said. "What happens to the children?"

"They live on the streets," Zuko said. "Some of them spend their times raiding the farms on the outskirts of town, but there's been a drought. Few of the farms have had decent crops in a long time."

Sokka glanced at their surroundings. They walked towards the edges of the village, through the dirty scorched streets and the cramped filthy alleyways. Thin children in ragged clothing lurked in the doorways. He noticed some wore green armbands, and others wore red bandanas around their foreheads. _Gang symbols_, he thought.

"The sad thing is, most of these families were once nobles," Zuko said.

"How did nobles get all the way out here?" Sokka asked. "There's no big estates in the area."

"They're Earth Kingdom nobles who aligned too closely with Fire Lord Ozai," Zuko said. "When he fell, they fell too. They lost everything."

The packed dirt streets faded into dusty paths. Fields bleached brown in the oppressive sun stretched on and on, peppered by small tumbledown houses. Sometimes they passed by farmers struggling to gather their meager crops.

"Zuko, I think we should put in an irrigation system," Katara said. "Isn't there a river nearby? We could divert it."

Sokka looked over. A young woman stood in the midst of a sunflower field, standing smaller than the parched flowers. A long thick braid hung down her narrow back, and her slender legs were bare to the midcalf. She strained to pull down a heavy bobbing head and pluck the seeds. He paused. There was something familiar about her.

"Would it hurt the surrounding land if we changed the path of the river?" Zuko asked.

The young woman- a girl, really- tucked a strand of hair behind her in a familiar gesture. She bent slowly to pick up a flat basket from the ground, and Sokka realized with a start that she was heavily pregnant. His chest tightened.

"I don't think so," Katara said. "The river empties into a lake. If we just made the river thinner, the water can be spread further."

The girl turned around. Rosy sunburn spread over her pale cheeks. Her eyes stared past them in a familiar unperturbed gaze.

"Toph," Sokka whispered.

Katara halted. "What?"

The girl in the sunflower field froze. Her small hand went instinctively to her round belly.

"That's Toph, I think that's Toph!" Sokka said. She turned on her heel, heading towards the ramshackle farmhouse. Sokka leaped over the fence and grabbed her by the wrist. The young woman's seafoam colored eyes shone in her small face.

"Let go of me," she said fiercely, trying to pry away from his grasp while keeping her arm wrapped tightly around her round tummy.

"Toph, it's me," Sokka said. He cupped her chin in his hands. "It's Sokka."

Her blank, hollow eyes widened. "Sokka?" she repeated. She gripped his wrists, then relaxed and flashed a smile. "Well, what do you know. What are you doing here?"

"Aang told us this village needs help," he said.

A bitter look crossed her face. "This village has more help than anyone can give," she said.

"Is that really Toph?" Katara gasped. She flung her arms around the younger girl. "Toph, we've missed you!" She stepped back. "Are you really-"

"I'm eight and a half months along," Toph sighed.

Katara laughed and patted Toph's round belly. "You're almost there," she said. "When I had Yonah-"

"Yonah?" Toph said. "There's a Sugar Princess now?"

Zuko cleared his throat. "A Fire princess, actually," he said.

Toph turned towards the sound of his voice. "Zuko," she said. She flung her arms around his neck. Sokka smiled bitterly. He'd forgotten how close those two had become.

"You're not allowed to have a baby," Zuko said. "You're just…I mean, you're a baby yourself!"

"I'm twenty-two," she retorted. She tilted her head to the side. "Wait…if you have a Fire princess, than that means…"

"We were married five years ago," Katara said, smiling up at her husband.

Toph's smile twisted. "Five years ago," she said. "What have you been up to, Sokka?" He faced her shoulder as she didn't bother to turn around. He'd forgotten about that quirk of hers.

"You know, leading the southern water tribe, keeping those two crazy lovebirds in line. The usual," Sokka said in his old, breezy, off-handed way.

Toph opened her mouth to say something. Sokka's lungs constricted. If she asked him about-

"Toph! Where are you?" a brash voice hollered.

Toph's face blanched under her sunburn. "Who's that?" Katara asked.

"My husband," Toph said.

A short, wiry man ambled out from behind the house. Sokka glared at him. Thin, slack-jawed, and bleary eyed, he had to be at least ten years older than Toph. "What're you doing, talking to strangers?" he asked. "We need to get the harvest in."

Toph rolled her sightless eyes. "First of all, we don't have to worry about the sunflowers getting ruined by rain," she said. "Second of all, this is Prince Zuko and Princess Katara. Shouldn't you show some kind of respect?"

He gaped at her. "You aren't."

"Yes, well, we know Toph," Sokka snapped. Something about this man rubbed Sokka the wrong way. He couldn't fathom why Toph would pick this man.

"We've come to see how we can help your village," Zuko said.

He laughed, a harsh barking sound. "You can torch it," he suggested. "There's not much left."

Toph dropped back, standing behind her husband, her small hands resting on her stomach. "But we want to help," Katara said. "I think we can redirect the flow of the river and provide irrigation for your fields."

Toph's husband laughed again. "Seriously, just torch this place," he said. He took Toph by the elbow. "Now, if you'll excuse us, my wife and I have to keep up with our harvest."

"I'm sorry, we don't know your name," Katara said pleasantly.

"Xian Li Shan," he said. "Formerly Lord Li Shan." He cuffed Toph on the chin; she jerked her head back, struggling to hide her scowl and not doing a very good job. "And I suppose you already know my wife."

Sokka looked at her. He recognized that firm lock of her jaw. _Why on earth did she choose him as her husband? What does she see in him?_

"Toph, do you think you could come and visit with us?" Katara asked.

"I don't know," she said in a low voice.

"I can't spare her," Xian said. "The merchants are passing through next week and we need to have the harvest done. Besides, Toph, who's going to look after your father? Surely you're not expecting me to-"

"We'd be happy to stay," Zuko said. "Sokka and I can get the harvest in faster than Toph can."

Xian glanced from his small wife to the two strong warriors. "I guess," he relented.

Katara took Toph by the hand. "We'll be at the house, then," she said. They strolled down the dusty street, Toph walking slower than Sokka even remembered her moving.

"There's scythes over there," Xian said. "Pull the sunflowers and scrape the seeds out. Toph spreads them out to dry over there." He pointed to a line of burlap sacks lying in the sun. He turned and traipsed back towards the house.

"Well," Zuko said. "My opinion is not very high."

Sokka gritted his teeth and pulled down a heavy sunflower bloom.

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**Author's Note:  
**I actually wrote (and finished) this story back in April 2008, lo-o-o-o-ong before they aired the finale. Hence the Zutara, and the Zutarian daughter named Yonah. (Read my oneshot _Last Night _to figure that one out.)

This is also the first rated-T story I've ever written. You'll see why in…I think it's chapter 12, but I'm not sure.

So yes. Ten years has gone by since the war ended. Zuko is twenty-seven, Sokka is twenty-six, Katara is twenty-five, Aang (who is alive, but doesn't show up very much in here!) is twenty-three, and Toph is twenty-two. Why the age gaps? Because I'm fairly certain that by the time the Gaang met up with Toph, they had already hit some birthdays. And I have the sneaking suspicion that she had just hit her twelfth birthday when they met. So that's how it works.

I'm going out on a bit of a limb with this story, so let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me.

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The late afternoon was turning to early evening when Zuko and Sokka returned to the house. Inside it was quiet and cool, with the appetizing smells of dinner wafting towards them. Katara stood at the clay oven. The crown princess of the Fire Nation hummed happily under her breath as she carefully lifted out loaves of bread. In a corner of the kitchen, far from the oven, Yonah played quietly with a doll.

"That smells amazing," Zuko said, leaning over Katara's shoulder.

She smiled. "It's nice to cook for ourselves again," she said. "Get Yonah and clean her up. We can go ahead and eat."

"Where's Toph?" Sokka asked.

His sister's smile faded slightly. "She's asleep in there," she said. "I haven't had the heart to wake her."

"I'll go get her," Sokka offered.

Katara picked up a stack of earthenware plates. "I'll set the table," she said.

Sokka walked towards the living room. Toph lay on her back on the chaise, arms splayed above her head. He smiled, remembering a twelve-year-old snuggled on her stomach in the dirt, sleeping soundly. He could still see some of her in the tired young woman lying in front of him.

Toph roused slightly, her head turning to the sound of his voice. "I'm sorry, I'll get up," she mumbled, struggling to wake.

Those were words he'd never heard her say before. "It's okay, Toph," he said. "Take it easy."

She paused and rubbed her eyes like a sleepy child. "Sokka?" she said.

"That's me," he said. She still tried to sit up. Before he knew what he was doing, his hands shot out and helped her. The bones of her back were sharp through her skin and her cotton dress.

"I'm okay," she said, carefully swinging her legs over the side. Her ankles were swollen. Sokka caught himself staring at her round belly.

"When are you due?" he asked.

She smiled slightly. "Just a few weeks," she said.

Sokka helped her stand up. Her hands were as tiny and fragile as he remembered. A stab of disloyalty shot through him, and he dropped her little fingers. "Dinner's ready," he said shortly. He stalked towards the door before he realized she wasn't following him. "Come on."

She followed him hesitantly. He crossed his arms. "I don't walk very well right now," she snapped. "I'm so tired, and the baby's so heavy-"

Sokka dropped his hands and took her gently by the arm. "Come on," he said again, and guided her into the dining room. She leaned heavily on his elbow.

"Nice to see you awake, Toph," Katara said.

"It was nice to sleep," she replied. Sokka guided her to a chair and she sat down carefully. Toph pulled her long braid over her narrow shoulder.

"I remember being that big," Katara said. "It's so uncomfortable, isn't it?"

"I've been through worse," Toph shrugged, but the hollows under her eyes looked dark in the dimness.

"Daddy, more bread," Yonah interrupted. Zuko tore a piece off the loaf and handed it to her.

"How old is your daughter?" Toph asked.

"Four!" Yonah said cheerfully. Toph smiled.

"How long ago did you get married?" Katara asked.

Toph took a dainty bite. "Six years ago," she said.

Sokka choked. "So you were-"

"Sixteen," Toph said. "I was sixteen years old."

Sokka jabbed at the meat on his plate. _I hope she got married because she really, really liked the guy_. But after spending the afternoon with him, he couldn't see much. He hoped he was missing something.

"So…where did you meet him?" Zuko asked.

Toph hid her face behind her cup. "At the altar," she mumbled behind the rim.

"You had an arranged marriage?" Katara said.

"When I came home, they already had everything in place," Toph said. She set her spoon down, her eyes staring blankly at the wall in front of her. "They were afraid the economy was going to collapse, after the change in regime. So I married Xian. But my mother died, and my father…well, my father is getting old, and his mind isn't the same. Xian was made executer of the estate, and he squandered my entire family's fortune." Her strong little chin trembled. "We lost everything. We've been living on that farm for the past three years. I don't mind being poor, but Xian…Xian is…"

Toph buried her face in her hands. Katara slipped out of her chair and knelt beside her. Toph turned her head, pressing her face in the older girl's shoulder. Her slim shoulders trembled. Zuko reached for his daughter, pulling her into his lap and holding her tightly. Yonah was quiet, her small hands tangled in her father's tunic. Sokka knew what his brother in law was thinking. He looked at his little niece, imagining her married against her will to an apathetic, lazy man older than she was. His blood boiled.

Toph pulled away, swiping at her wet cheeks. "I'm sorry," she said. "This baby just makes me so emotional, I guess."

"There's no shame in that," Zuko said. He rocked his small daughter gently.

"Toph, would you like to stay with us?" Katara asked. "We're going to be here for another month or so. You can stay with us until the baby's born."

"I'd like to," Toph said. Her face suddenly looked old and tired. "I'd really, really like to." She twisted her fingers together. "I just don't think Xian would like it."

"I'll talk to him," Sokka said suddenly. As much as he disliked Toph's husband, he would rather work in the hot fields than let Toph do it. "I'll work instead. All he wants is the harvest in, anyway."

Toph's shoulders sagged in relief. "Really?" she said. She rubbed at her eyes again. "That would…that would be great."

Katara kissed her lightly on the temple. "We'll go and talk to your husband tomorrow," she said. "Tonight we'll go ahead and get a room set up for you. Do you think your husband will mind?"

"He won't care," Toph said, shaking her head.

Sokka recognized the look flitting across his sister's face. She glanced back at her husband and daughter. _I can't imagine Zuko not caring about where Katara is,_ Sokka thought. _I can't imagine myself not caring about where-_

He set his jaw. "I'll go talk to him first thing in the morning," he said.

"I'll go get your room ready," Katara said. "You should eat. You need to keep up your strength for when you go into labor." Toph paled slightly. Katara stood up.

"Mama!" Yonah cried, stretching out her small arms. "Mama, I wanna help!" Katara picked her up, settling her on her hip. She smoothed her daughter's hair back from her forehead as she walked out of the room.

Sokka, Zuko, and Toph finished their dinner mostly in silence. Sokka watched Toph eat slowly but eagerly. Her cheeks were much thinner than they used to be. He knew Zuko was staring at him staring at her, but he ignored it.

"All right, Toph," Katara said, holding Yonah's hand. "It's all ready for you."

"I put the pillows on the bed!" Yonah announced cheerfully. She tugged on Toph's sleeve. "Come with me!" Toph stood up awkwardly, weariness bearing down on her entire frame. Yonah stopped. "Mommy, her eyes are funny." Toph placed her hands on her stomach, her head drooping.

"Zuko, you explain to Yonah," Katara sighed. She wrapped an arm around Toph's waist and walked her out.

"Daddy?" Yonah said, tilting her head to the side.

Zuko set her on his knee. "Aunt Toph is blind," he said. "She can't see."

"She can't see anything?" Yonah asked incredulously.

"Nothing," he said. He wrapped a long strand of his daughter's hair around his finger. "She was born blind."

Yonah stared up into her father's face. "Well, that's not very nice," she said. "Can't we fix her? Mommy's very good at fixing things."

"Mommy can't fix everything," Zuko said. His hand traveled up unconsciously to touch his scar.

Yonah raised up on her knees and kissed him right beneath his eye. "I still don't like it," she said. Zuko hugged her tightly.

Sokka got up and stalked down the hallway. The door to the bedroom was open. He peeked around the corner. Toph was lying down, propped up on pillows and several blankets draped over her. Her head turned in his direction. "I know you're there, Sokka," she said.

"You've always been good at that," Sokka said, smiling wryly. He stepped closer, watching the candlelight flicker across her pale face. "How are you feeling?"

"Fat," she said. "Tired." She smiled. "Curious."

"Curious about what?" Sokka asked.

"Whether it's a boy or a girl," Toph said. She stroked her round belly, then winced. "Whatever it is, it certainly kicks."

"Oh, can I feel?" Katara asked eagerly. Toph nodded. Katara touched her stomach. "That baby of yours certainly can kick!" She grabbed her brother's hand and pressed it to Toph's belly.

Sokka's heart flipflopped. Katara did this nonstop during her pregnancy, making him feel the baby kick when Yonah so much as hiccupped. And of course, when his wife-

The baby kicked hard against his hand. Toph bit her lip. "Your baby's tough," he commented. He smiled, even though it stung. "Like you."

Toph placed her small hands over Sokka and Katara's. "I'm glad you're here," she said. "Really, I am."

Katara's eyes were soft as she leaned over and kissed the top of Toph's head. "You should get some sleep," she said. "Sokka, say good night." She nudged him

Sokka kissed Toph's forehead. Her skin was soft and smooth. "Good night, Toph," he said hoarsely. She smiled drowsily as he blew out the light and the siblings left.

"I don't like that husband of hers," Katara said through her teeth. "He's making her work in the hot sun when she's so close to having the baby. I know she's strong, but really, I'm strong and I spent the last three weeks in bed!"

"Zuko also wouldn't let you move," Sokka pointed out dryly.

Katara elbowed him in the ribs. "Don't tell me you approve of all this."

Sokka sighed. "I don't," he said. "That Xian is lazy and selfish. And I don't think he treats Toph very well."

"She seems unhappy," Katara said. "And so tired."

"Speaking of tired," Sokka said. Zuko still sat in his chair, his head tipped back and his mouth open. Yonah curled up on his lap, her cheek buried his stomach. Both were fast asleep.

Katara laughed softly. "It was a long day," she said. She lifted her sleeping daughter and handed her to Sokka. "Can you put her to bed, please?"

"Sure," Sokka whispered. He cradled his fast asleep niece in his arms.

Katara bent over her husband and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Zuko, my love," she said softly. Zuko roused slightly.

Sokka turned away. Memories of soft kisses burned his thoughts; he shoved them away and carried Yonah down the hall. He paused at Toph's door. She slept peacefully, a small body in the big bed. Her long black braid draped over her narrow shoulder, and her little hands were raised above her head. She turned slightly, her soft pink lips parting in her sleep. Sokka's heart pounded.

"Uncle Sokka?" Yonah yawned.

Sokka readjusted her in his arms. "Bedtime, little princess," he said softly and carried her to her nursery.

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**Author's Notes:**

And the tension builds!

I must say, it's weird to write them as grown-ups. And hard to keep them in character, because there's no telling how their personalities changed as they grew up. Toph's definitely grown up; her character is probably the most changed because of her circumstances.

I hope everyone's hanging on with the Zutaraness. Although you have to admit, they would have a pretty kid. Yay for Yonah.

Next chapter's more interesting, I promise. This one's a little slow, but necessary. Hang with me!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon and Bryke, not me

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon and Bryke, not me.

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He didn't sleep much that night. When he did sleep, it was fitful and dreamless. The sky was dark but streaked with rose pink when he got up. The house was silent. Even Yonah, who usually got up at the crack of dawn, was fast asleep in her crib. Sokka dressed and let himself out of the house without waking anyone.

The walk to Toph's husband's house was long and already warm, despite the early morning. He missed the comfortable chilliness of the south pole, or even the coolness of an Earth Kingdom morning. Sokka walked down the dusty paths, his arms and shoulders still aching from the long day of harvesting. He wondered how on earth Toph was able to keep going.

The small farmhouse stood dismally in the parched fields, its battered walls caked with dirt and clay. Sokka's shoes kicked small puffs of dust into the air, the light crunch the only sound. He approached the front door, but a movement around the side of the house startled him.

"Are you looking for someone?"

The man was haggard, his face heavily lined and his hair whitened. "Yes," Sokka said. "I'm looking for Xian Li Shan."

The old man nodded, his head bobbing. "He is a good man, a good man," he said. Sokka scowled. "His son, though…I'm not sure about his son."

"He has a son?" Sokka said. _I thought this was Toph's first child…_

"But his son is still a nice boy," the old man said, still nodding. "Perhaps he will make a good match for my daughter."

Sokka's blood chilled. Now he recognized the bleary daze in the old man's eyes, the trembling of his hands. This must be-

"I have a little girl, a little girl named Toph," the old man said. "When she is grown, she will be Lady Bei Fong, and I will marry her to a good man. Are you a good man, son?" Sokka took a step away from Toph's father.

"It's water-tribe-man," Xian said, opening the front door of the one-story house. He leaned against the doorframe and scratched his chest. "What are you doing here?"

"It's about your wife," Sokka said. "Did you notice she didn't come back last night?"

"I wondered, but she's a tough woman. She can take care of herself," Xian shrugged.

Sokka thought of the little girl in the big bed. "The prince and princess would like your wife to stay with them while they're here in town," he said.

Xian scowled. "How'm I going to sell my crops to the merchants if they're not harvested?" he asked.

"I'll take her place," Sokka said. He couldn't help but add, "She's in no condition to be out in the fields."

"Well, the only other person around here is Toph's father, and you can tell he's in no condition to help me," Xian said. "I guess you're better help than she is. Come on in. We'll do the north fields today."

Sokka walked into the house. With the low ceiling and the narrow slits for windows, it felt more like a cave. Faded curtains sectioned off the house, dividing the bedrooms. His footsteps echoed on the wooden floor and bounced off the wooden walls and ceiling. _I don't like the idea of Toph living here_, he thought.

--

It was late in the afternoon when Sokka came back to the house. He could hear his sister laughing in the back garden, Yonah's high chortle blending with hers. He went into the yard. Katara stood on the edge of the pond, bending the water into soft sprays. Yonah ran back and forth, shrieking with laughter as it sprinkled her, the water sparkling on her bare arms and legs. Toph sat in the grass nearby, cleaner and dressed better than she had been the day before. Her thick glossy hair hung in two braids over her shoulder, and she laughed at the sounds of Yonah's giggles.

"Sokka's here," Toph announced.

Yonah paused under the spray. "How did you know without turning around?" she asked, eyes wide.

"I can feel the vibrations in the ground," Toph explained. Her small palms were pressed against the sparse grass and sandy dirt.

"That's amazing," Yonah said.

"Not as amazing as me, though, is she?" Sokka teased.

His four year old niece ran through the muddy grass and hurtled into his arms. Sokka caught her; she shook water all over his dusty clothes. "Uncle Sokka, you missed all the fun!" Yonah cried.

"I had plenty of my own fun," he said.

"Yonah, go inside and get cleaned up," Katara said, bending the water back into the fountain. "You need a nap."

Yonah thrust out her lower lip. "Oh, Mommy, I'm too old for naps," she argued.

Katara lowered her eyebrows and pointed to the back door. "Naptime, Yonah," she said. Sokka set the little girl down, and Yonah trooped into the house with a dramatic sigh.

"Did my husband give you a hard time?" Toph asked.

"Not all that bad," Sokka said. He plunked down in the grass, flopping backwards next to Toph. She tapped him on the forehead.

"Zuko and I walked down the river and mapped where we're going to change the flow," Katara said. "Toph, we could really use your help if you're up to it."

Toph rubbed her thumb. "I haven't…I don't bend much anymore," she said.

"But you're the best earthbender there is," Katara objected. "Why don't you-"

"Xian doesn't like it," Toph said. She smiled wryly. "I can't seem to get it right. My parents couldn't stand me being blind and my husband can't stand me being a better earthbender than him."

"You gave up earthbending for that idiot?" Sokka said, incredulous. "Toph, that's not like you."

She placed her hand under her belly, as if she was trying to relieve the weight of her baby. "No, I'm not much like I used to be," she said. "I still bend. I don't think I could live without bending. But when Xian's around…I pretend like I'm not very good."

"But Toph…" Sokka struggled to find the right words. "Why?"

He remembered the little prodigy he traveled with. She was strong and irascible and spunky and stubborn. She could do anything she pleased with the earth beneath her. She laughed loudly and teased often and gave generously.

And she followed in his footsteps and clung to his arm and blushed when he gave her gifts.

Toph's gaze fell. "Let's just say...Xian has his ways," she said softly.

Katara blanched. "Toph-"

"I don't want to talk about it," Toph said, her voice as faraway as the look on her face.

"I found Yonah trying to sneak a bowl of fire crisps, but I sent her off to nap," Zuko said. "I assume that's what you sent her to do."

"It is," Katara said.

Zuko's eyes bounced from his wife's strained face to Toph's pale one. He cleared his throat. "Speaking of naps, I think someone else is due for one," he said.

"Who's that? You worn out from crown prince business or something?" Sokka teased.

"No, I think the little pregnant lady needs some rest," Zuko said.

"Oh, I'm not that-" Toph doubled over, wincing.

"Are you all right?" Katara asked.

"Just a big kick," Toph said through her teeth. "I swear, this child wears me out faster than anything else."

With one smooth motion Zuko lifted Toph in his arms like she was still twelve years old. "Let me tell you from experience, naps are the best things for this," he said. "After dealing with Katara-"

"I didn't sleep that much," Katara scoffed.

Sokka flicked a blade of grass into his sister's hair. "Come on, Katara, you had three stages when you were pregnant with Yonah- sleep, eat, and whine." Katara pulled a face and bended water in a skinny stream from the fountain into her brother's face.

Zuko adjusted Toph in his arms; she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm going to put her down for a nap," he said.

Toph punched him lightly on the shoulder. "I'm not your four-year-old, Daddy Zuko," she scolded.

He touched his scarred ear against her forehead and Sokka barely caught his words. "But you are my little sister," he said softly. Toph hid her face, and Zuko carried her into the house.

"I'd forgotten how close those two got," Sokka said, shaking water from his hair.

"He took care of her so much after he burned her feet," Katara said. "It was almost like he tried to replace Azula with her." She shuddered at the thought of her sister-in-law, even though she had been dead for ten years.

Sokka glanced back towards the house. "Do you think she's going to be okay?" he said.

"She's Toph, she's always been strong," Katara said. She sighed. "Although…the way she is now…what do you think her husband does to her?"

"I don't know," Sokka said. "I can't imagine Toph letting anyone take advantage of her, but…" The image of the farm rose up in his mind, of the dust and the parched flowers and the house made of- "Wood."

"What?" Katara said.

Sokka slapped his palm in his fist and swore. "The house is made of wood," he said.

"But Toph can't see when-" Katara's eyes widened. "Do you think that her husband purposefully built the house out of wood so she can't see?'

"Yeah," Sokka said, gritting his teeth. "Yeah, I think he did."

The images crashed in his brain- Toph stumbling with her hands outstretched, Toph struggling to find her way through her own home, Toph's husband catching her across the jaw, Toph falling hard against the floor…

"Sokka? Are you all right?" Katara asked.

"I'm fine," he said. "I just…I can't think of her like that. She's just not like that."

"It's been ten years, Sokka," Katara said. "A lot can happen in ten years." She curled her legs, draping her arms around her knees like she had as a girl. "Think of me. I'm married, with a little girl, and I happen to think I'm more grown up than I was when I was fourteen." Sokka trailed a long blade of grass through the dust. "And think of how much you've changed. You got married and-"

"And then my wife died," Sokka said bitterly.

Katara rubbed his forearm. "Sokka, it's been a year," she said softly. "You've spent the past year sitting alone in that empty house. You can't-"

"Katara, you haven't lost anyone the way I have," Sokka said. "That empty house is all I have left of her." He shook her hand away and stood up, then walked away, leaving her sitting alone in the sparse grass.

He stalked past Toph's room. She was sitting up in bed, her lashes drooping over her beautiful eyes in sadness, not sleepiness. "Sokka?" she called.

He was caught. "Do you need something?" he asked.

"Just some company." She patted the bed beside her. Reluctantly he came in and sat down, keeping his distance. "Are you all right?"

"Since when does Toph Bei Fong ask if anyone else is all right?" Sokka asked, trying to smile.

She turned her face towards him. "Toph Li Shan asks," she said. She touched his knee in a light, feminine, uncharacteristic gesture.

His attempts at smiling fell flat. "It's nothing, Toph," he said quietly. He stroked his hand against her soft round cheek. "Don't worry about me. Worry about yourself. And that baby of yours."

Toph stroked her belly. "I'm not worried about my baby," she said. "And I'm not worried about me."

"Why worry about me?" Sokka said. "I'm fine."

She placed her small hand over the big one that cupped her cheek. "You forget, Sokka. I know you're lying," she said, smiling with her old impish grin. "You can tell me what's wrong, can't you?"

Toph was so earnest, so appealing. He lost himself in her foggy gaze. "I…I lost my wife a year ago," he finally admitted.

It might have been her imagination, but she seemed to grow paler for a second. "You got married?" she said.

"I was," Sokka said. He shook his head. "You need to rest. Lie down." She scowled, but obeyed, scooting back and sinking into the soft bed. He drew the blankets over her shoulders.

Toph looked up at him, her eyes soft and unfathomable. Sokka smiled wistfully, studying the curves and lines of her face. He traced her cheek, then bent and kissed her right below her eye. "Sleep well, Toph." He got up to leave.

"Sokka."

He turned around. She stared up at the wall, but extended her hand. "Please remember you can talk to me," she said in a quiet, almost pleading voice.

"I'll remember," he said, and he shut the door.

--

Katara studied her reflection solemnly as she brushed out her long hair. "Zuko?" she said.

"Hm?" said the lump in the bed.

"I'm worried about-"

"About Toph? Me, too," Zuko said, pushing himself up into a sitting position. The blankets slipped away from his bare shoulders. "I don't think her husband's taking good care of her."

Katara blinked. "I agree, but I'm more worried about Sokka," she said.

"Why are you worried about Sokka?" Zuko asked.

Katara sat down next to her husband; he slipped an arm around her waist and drew her to his side. "It's been a year since she died," she said. "And he still can't get over it."

Zuko kissed her hairline. "He loved her," he said. "Imagine what I would do if something happened to you. I wouldn't be able to bounce back."

Katara turned in his embrace to face him. "Yes, but you would have Yonah to distract you," she said. "Sokka doesn't let anything pull him away from his grief."

Zuko laid down on his back, pulling Katara with him. Her hair trailed across his bare chest. "He needs more time," he said.

"He needs something to distract him," Katara said. She smiled, tracing her fingers along his skin. "Maybe we can find him a nice girl-"

Zuko tapped a finger to his wife's lips. "Don't play matchmaker," he warned. "He's still grieving; this is dangerous territory."

Katara laid down in the crook of Zuko's arm, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "I know, but it is nice to think about Sokka settling down again," she said. "What if he married again, and had children of his own, and-"

Zuko caught her lips with his. "Don't think about it," he said. "Give your brother time." He kissed his wife again, and drew the blankets over them.

-

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**Author's Notes:**

I do believe there is a fair amount of sexual tension between Toph and Sokka. I know she probably comes across as fairly OOC, but she's gone through so much in the past ten years, it's definitely shaped her personality in some very unexpected ways.

AND I HAVE NOW INVENTED THE AVATARVERSE SPRINKLER! Yay.

A surprisingly large amount of you, my wonderful reviewers, have commented that you liked this story despite the Zutara. I take that as a very high compliment. It means a lot that you guys think I've handled the story well enough that you like a pairing you typically don't enjoy. So thanks!

So who thinks there isn't enough sibling-related interaction in the series? I love the moments when Sokka and Katara act like the siblings they are, but I wish they would have shown more of Zuko acting like Toph's big brother. I think it's adorable. I've written a couple of oneshots using that ("Penance" and "Solace", for instance) and there'll probably be more coming up. So if you like that, keep yours eyes open!

Sorry about the terribly late update. I got back to school last week and started four-hour-long daily rehearsals for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It's kind of eating my life.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me.

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Sokka strolled behind the others, his hands shoved in his pockets. Katara and Zuko walked ahead, with Toph walking slowly next to Katara. Yonah skipped and scampered around their feet, laughing. The front part of her black hair was divided in the hair loops of a southern water tribe girl, and Yonah couldn't have been prouder.

"I think if we brought in some more professionals," Zuko was saying. "Doctors, merchants…people who can provide a lot more to the town."

"Yonah, stay near Mommy," Katara said, holding out her hand.

"Between the irrigation system and bringing better services, I think we can get the town started on a good path," Zuko continued.

"Yonah. Yonah Ursa! Don't put that in your mouth!"

"Is it always this hectic being a mother?" Toph asked.

"Oh, sometimes more," Katara said, brushing Yonah's red dress smooth.

"Two and a half more weeks," Toph said. "Then I'll be a mother."

"You can't have a baby, you're twelve," Zuko muttered under his breath.

Toph elbowed him in the ribs. "Well, Sparky, I still think of you as sixteen and you've got a toddler. What do you say to that?" she teased. Zuko rolled his eyes. "You and Sugar Queen planning on adding a Fire prince to the mix?"

Zuko and Katara both flushed a brilliant shade of red. "Maybe," Katara stammered.

"They're blushing, aren't they?" Toph snickered.

"Oh, most definitely," Sokka said. He watched Toph walk- waddle, rather- in front of him. Today she wore her hair back in a bun, the way she did when she was the twelve-year-old he remembered.

"Zuko, are you sure this a good part of town to take Yonah through?" Katara asked.

"We'll go a little further. The street loops around and we can head back to the house," Zuko said.

"Come here, Yonah, and walk with Mommy," Katara said. She drew her daughter to her side and held her hand tightly.

The narrow streets made Sokka feel uneasy. There were more children with green or red bands now, sitting in the dirt playing hopstones or leaning against walls chewing on handfuls of sunflower seeds.

One boy of perhaps nine spat the sunflower shells on the path in front of Toph's feet. Sokka grabbed her by the arm and drew her back. "Watch what you're doing," he snapped.

The boy scowled. "I'm not going to watch myself around her," he said. "She's the one who made my mother a whore."

"What?" Katara said.

"She made my mother a whore," he repeated, tossing a handful of seed shells at Toph's skirt.

"Watch your tongue," Zuko growled.

"If it hadn't been for her, my father would have married my mother," the boy shouted. "He promised he was gonna marry her, but he married that stupid blind girl instead, for her money. She made my mother a whore!"

He picked up a rock and tried to fling at Toph. With a movement surprisingly fast for a young woman so far in her pregnancy, she turned, flinging a high wall of rock and dirt between herself and the boy. The boy stumbled back, startled.

Sokka grabbed him by the shirt collar. "Don't you ever speak to her like that!" he seethed. He tossed him to the ground. "Get out of here!"

The boy scrambled away. Toph let the barrier crumble, and she wavered. Sokka swept up behind her, catching her by the elbows. "I'm okay," she mumbled.

Sokka sank to the ground, holding Toph steady. She buried her face in her hands. Zuko and Katara stood close by; Yonah hid her face in the back of her father's knee. "What was that about?" Sokka asked. "Tell me.

Toph kept her face hidden. "Xian has a mistress," she said. There was no sadness or longing in her voice, just bare facts. "She has a couple of children. He told her he was going to marry her, but when my father accepted his father's dowry offer, Xian married me instead." The sensible, factual tone had the same bland acceptance Sokka had heard ten years earlier, when a small girl explained to him that she had been born blind. "Most nobles have a noble wife and a commoner mistress. My father was a rarity."

"That doesn't make it right," Katara said.

Toph leaned heavily against Sokka's chest. "I'm so tired," she said.

Sokka struggled to support Toph and stand at the same time. "I'll take you home," he said. He lifted her cautiously. She was still so small. "I'll take you home." Without looking at the others he turned on his heel and stalked back towards the house.

Toph lay quietly in his arms, one arm around his neck and the other over her round belly. His heart thudded against his ribcage. Toph was never quiet. Toph was never still. "Are you all right?" he asked. "Is the baby all right?"

Toph gave a short nod against his neck. That one motion triggered a shudder through her whole body, and the shudder brought the tears. Sokka's arms tightened. He thought of the angry boy with the rock, the illegitimate child who blamed the trembling girl in his arms for his own mother's behavior. Toph cried silently, her head turned against his chest.

Sokka's blood boiled. _She doesn't deserve this_, he thought furiously. _She deserves a husband who loves her and takes care of her. She deserves a husband who's going to be faithful to her. Someone who won't let people take advantage of her and use her_. He kicked the front door of the rented house open and carried Toph inside. Gently he placed her on her neatly made bed.

"I'll get you some water," he said in a rough, stifled voice. Toph turned away. He went into the tidy kitchen and poured a cup of cold water, then stalked back to her bedroom. She had calmed down, her chest no longer heaving with sobs, but tear tracks stained her flushed cheeks. He took her small hands and placed the cup in them. Toph drank.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

Sokka stroked her hair away from her hot face. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry you're married to him."

Toph bit her lip hard, bringing blood to the surface. "I thought I had gotten away from all of it," she said. "The controlling and the lying and the dancing around the real problems. But it was even worse when I got home from the war." She bit down harder. There weren't any tears in her eyes, just bitterness and anger. "I liked myself better when…when I was with all of you."

Sokka took her by the shoulders and pulled her into his chest. "I like you," he said fiercely. "I liked you then, and I like you now." He felt her sag against his chest, her small fists relaxing as he gripped her. Sokka kissed her on the temple. Her hair smelled like grapefruit blossoms.

He moved closer to her ear. Her soft arms wrapped around his neck. "I like you," he said, and kissed her on the ear.

Sokka's lips brushed down her jawline, kissing her lightly. "I like you." Her skin was soft and fragile and smelled wonderful. Her arms were tight around his neck now, hugging him tightly.

He kissed her on the chin. Her lips touched the tip of his nose. "I like you," he whispered hoarsely. Her breath was light and warm.

"I love you," he breathed, and kissed Toph's lips.

-

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**Author's Notes:**

Oh…now he's done it. What happens next? Wait and see!

Although…if you're reading this story and eagerly anticipating a lemon, I suggest you search elsewhere. If you read my profile, I'm pretty plain on that fact. If you're reading this story and eagerly anticipating a well-written story with a more adult storyline, then please continue! I value your reading (and reviewing!).

But yeah. I'm not so much of a lemon person. Or a lime person. Or a lemonade person. I once got a request from an eleven-year-old to write a lemon for her. AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD. It was awkward.

It's so hard writing Grown-Up!Avatar Cast. Like seriously. Don't recommend it. I don't think anyone is ever in character. Ever, ever, ever, ever…don't have enough evers memorized.

But in any case, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the story as it unforlds!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Avatar: the Last Airbender belongs to Bryke, not me.

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Sokka lounged on the riverbed, watching his sister and Toph bend the river into a new shape. Zuko would have come instead, but Yonah had come down with a summer cold and cried until her daddy promised to stay with her. Sokka didn't mind keeping an eye on the girls, although admittedly he spent more time watching Toph.

Toph's cheeks were rosy in the sun. Her usually unfocused eyes were determined as she pulled and rolled the earth. Dirt packed around her ankles kept her top-heavy body stable. She smiled wickedly, her tongue poking out of the corner of her pink mouth in concentration.

"Why don't we take a short break?" Katara suggested. She stood thigh-deep in water, her hair braided tightly behind her. "I haven't done waterbending this rough since Yonah was born."

"I can't remember the last time I did this much earthbending," Toph said, dropping her hands. The dust settled around her small bare feet. "I haven't used any difficult techniques in a long time."

"You should take it easy," Katara warned. "Aren't you tired?"

Toph stretched her fingers. "Actually, not really," she said. "It feels so great to earthbend again that I don't even notice getting tired. And I think the baby likes it when I bend."

Katara waded out of the water. "I know what you mean," she said. "It felt like Yonah was doing backflips when ever I bended."

"Do you think Yonah will be a waterbender?" Sokka asked.

Katara smiled sadly. "I don't think so," she said. "Most benders show the first signs before they're a year old. I mean, Mom knew I was a bender when I bended the water out my bottle. But Yonah…she hasn't shown any signs of bending, water or fire."

"It's not all that bad to live without bending," Sokka said.

Katara sat down beside Sokka on the riverbed. "I know, but I did want to see one of my children bend," she said.

"Maybe you and Zuko will have more children," Toph suggested.

"We've talked about it," Katara said, trailing her finger in the water. "And we've been trying…"

Sokka stuck his fingers in his ears. "Brother, right here," he remaindered her. Katara splashed him.

"Well, maybe you should light a fire under Sparky's-" Toph halted and grabbed her stomach.

"Toph? Toph, what's wrong?" Katara asked, scrambling to her feet.

Toph doubled over. Sokka grabbed her around the waist and helped her lie down. "It's the baby," Toph said through her teeth.

Katara smoothed Toph's hair back. "Do you think you're in labor?" she asked.

"I don't know, it just h-hurts!" Toph lurched up, her lips tightening. Sokka took her by the hand.

"Has your water broken?" Katara asked. Toph gave a sharp shake of her head. "I don't think you're in labor. I think you're having false contractions."

"They sure don't feel false," Toph growled.

"It just means your body's preparing for labor," Katara said. "It's miserable, I know. But you're due in about a week and a half." She stroked Toph's cheek. "And then you'll hold your baby."

"That's a little hard to remember right now," Toph said, her voice tight.

"You should rest before we go home," Katara said. "Sokka, you stay with her, I'll get our things."

Sokka scooted closer to Toph, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "Are you scared?" he asked.

Toph stared straight up into the sun. "Terrified."

"You'll be fine," he said. She squinched her eyes shut. Sokka took both of her hands in his. "You'll get through this and then you'll have a beautiful baby son or daughter."

She turned her head towards the sound of his voice. "Will you stay with me?" she asked. "When I'm in labor for real, I mean."

Sokka started. "Really?"

"As long as you don't faint like you did at the Serpent's Pass-"

"I won't, I won't," Sokka said, rolling his eyes. "I'll have you know I was perfectly fine when Katara had Yonah."

Toph ran her knuckles against his palm. "Sokka?"

"What, Toph?" he asked.

Her eyes stared straight ahead, unblinking, but soft. "Do you really love me?"

"Of course I love you," Sokka said, trying to smile.

She shook her head. "No, no, not like that." Her lips were thin and pale. "Do you _love _me?"

"Toph, why are you asking me this?" Sokka asked quietly.

"Yesterday you said…and the kiss-"

"I don't know if can answer you," he said, his voice broken. "I just don't know, Toph. I just…you're still married, and I loved my wife-"

Toph took him by the collar and pulled him down to her soft, eager mouth. She kissed him softly, warmly, urgently. Sokka cupped her cheeks in his hands, deepening the kiss. He pulled away from her.

"Plenty of people care about me, but I want someone who _loves_ me," she said fiercely. "That's all I ask for. Someone who loves me."

"Toph," Sokka whispered. He pulled her close to his chest and kissed her hard.

-

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**Author's Notes:**

Ooh…they're gettin' in deeper now…

This chapter and the next one are kind of short, so maybe I'll upload the next one sooner…

Even if you don't like Zutara, you have to admit the idea of Zuko staying home with a whiny, clingy toddler is adorable. Maybe that'll turn up as a oneshot.

I think there should be a poll. What gender is Toph's baby? And what name? (Just for the record, I've finished this story and have picked out both, but I'm interested in what people suggest…)

And just out of curiosity, has anyone done any fanart? It's been one of my dreams…seeing fanart for one of my stories turn up…anyone want to help my dream come true? Just kidding. Well, half kidding…

There were a couple things I have to mention about the previous chapter. First, cookies for the clever reader who recognized the Brian Regan reference. He's freaking hilarious.

Second, I forgot to mention that the kiss at the end of the chapter actually happened. I didn't start dating until I was nineteen years old, so I had never been kissed. I started dating my first boyfriend while I was on my Disney World internship, so we'd been dating for two or three months without seeing each other. On the day that I came home, we were at a graduation party for some friends and I was desperately hoping he would kiss me. And he kissed me everywhere but my lips, which drove me to distraction, but he finally gave me a real kiss (and it was fabulous). He told me later that he just wanted to be really sure that I wanted to be kissed.

Look for the next chapter soon. It'll have a pretty fun…well, at least interesting plot twist, so stay tuned!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me.**

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"Are you doing all right?" Katara asked.

"Fine, why do you ask?" Sokka said.

His younger sister jammed her hands on her hips. "I may not be able to sense vibrations, but I know you're lying," she said. "You've got that happy, giddy, goofy…did you meet a girl? Did you actually find a girl in this town?"

"Maybe," Sokka stammered.

Yonah latched herself onto his leg. "Uncle Sokka, are you going to get a new auntie?" she asked.

Sokka knelt down to his niece's eye level. "Uncle Sokka is just trying to enjoy working for Auntie Toph's mean husband," he said. "Uncle Sokka never wants to see another sunflower seed again." Yonah giggled as Sokka flipped her upside down and tickled her.

"That's enough, that's enough," Katara scolded, intervening on her daughter's behalf. She extricated Yonah from Sokka's grasp. "_Someone _has to go take a bath."

Yonah's blue eyes rolled slyly towards her mother. "Uncle Sokka?" she suggested.

"No, wrong answer," Katara said, sweeping Yonah up. "Bathtime, little lady." Yonah pouted over her mother's shoulder as Katara carried her off.

Sokka snuck into the kitchen and dug around the makeshift icebox Katara had made by bending a wall of ice around a cabinet. Inside he found a ceramic jar filled with mint ice cream. He grinned and grabbed a spoon.

Toph sat in a chaise lounge in the yard, her long hair spilling around her bare arms and shoulders. "Something's got you excited, Sokka," she commented.

Sokka fumbled with the lid and scooped up a spoonful. "Open up," he teased. Toph obediently opened her mouth and he fed her the ice cream.

"I've been craving that," she mumbled.

Sokka put the jar and the spoon in her hands and sat down. "What else have you craved in the past nine months?" he asked.

Toph tapped the spoon against her bottom lip. "Pickled ginger," she mused. "Fried rice. Oh, and pickled fish."

"That's a lovely combination," Sokka said, wrinkling his nose.

Toph laughed. "I never ate them together," she said. She spooned ice cream into her mouth.

"What else did you go through?" Sokka asked.

"I was sick for the first two trimesters," Toph said. "I couldn't keep anything down. Let me tell you, it's a good thing I want this baby or I don't know if I could have survived."

"You're very tough," Sokka said. He took the spoon away. "Here, open up." Toph ate what he fed her and took the spoon back. "So…you want this baby?"

"I do," she said. "I really, really want this baby. I'm just…" She suddenly took an unusually avid interest in her ice cream.

"You're just what?" Sokka asked.

"One of the last things my mother said to me before she died was that my children will be cursed like me," she said.

"Cursed?" Sokka repeated. "How are you cursed?"

She waved her hand in front of her face. "Blind," she said. "My mother said that all of my children would be blind like me. And if the baby is blind, and not an earthbender-"

Sokka gently pushed the spoon away and kissed her sticky, mint flavored lips. "You're not cursed, and your baby's going to be fine," he reassured her.

"I hope you're right," she said. She ate a spoonful of ice green. A little bit dribbled across the top of her round tummy; Toph affably scooped it up with her finger and licked it off. Her lashes fluttered. "Your heartbeat spiked."

"No, it didn't," Sokka lied.

"I remember this," she said. "Remember when we stopped in that Fire Nation town and we got ice cream?" Toph smiled wickedly. "Every time I licked my finger your pulse would speed up." She dipped her finger in the ice cream and licked it off.

"I just like it, that's all," Sokka said. He tapped his finger against her lips, and she kissed his fingertip. He took the jar of ice cream, set it on the ground, and kissed her soundly.

Toph twined her arms around his neck and tugged on his ears. Sokka kissed her, enjoying the softness of her lips. He'd missed this.

Sokka pulled back abruptly as the memory of his wife swam in his mind. "What's wrong?" Toph asked.

"Toph, I just don't-"

She tugged him back down, pressing her lips against his. "Don't _don't_," she said huskily. Sokka closed his eyes, tasting her soft kiss.

"Mommy, Mommy, I think Auntie Toph is going to be my real auntie!" Yonah shrieked.

Sokka jumped back hastily from Toph; her lips were red and her cheeks were pink. Yonah clapped her hands, beaming, her wet hair bouncing on her shoulders. "Yonah!" Sokka gasped. "What are you doing?"

Katara's daughter scrambled onto the chaise, lunging for her uncle's neck. "I liked Auntie Suki, but I like Auntie Toph too!" she said cheerfully.

"What are you doing, Sokka?" Katara demanded.

Toph went white. "You married Suki?" she said.

Sokka ran his fingers through his hair and groaned. Nothing was going the way he wanted it to.

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**Author's Notes:**

Wow…I totally abandoned this, didn't I?

Well, I hope people still want to read this…and review it. 

This chapter is rife with references to another Tokka story I wrote- the first chapter of _Mudkips_. Which is, in turn, an inside joke between me and my fiancé. So yeah.

I'm going to try to update this more regularly. Sorry, guys…


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me.

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Sokka felt like was he was seventeen again, when his father caught him and Suki making out under the rock ledge by the shore. Although he almost wished it was his father rather than these two.

Zuko looked like he was struggling to keep from bursting fireballs in his hand. He had the same facial expression as he had had as a sixteen year old who was searching for the Avatar.

Katara was worse. She stalked back and forth, waving her hands, sputtering as she searched for the right words to express all the emotions that bubbled inside her. Sokka squirmed. Once she found the words, he was in for it.

"How could you!" she finally screeched. Sokka winced. "How can you take advantage of Toph like that, our Toph!"

"I wasn't taking advantage of her," Sokka objected. "She wanted me to kiss her!"

"But she's married, and she's pregnant, and she's vulnerable, and did I mention she's married?" Katara demanded.

"I know she's married, but it's against her will!" Sokka said. "And it's not like he's been faithful to her! He doesn't deserve Toph!"

"We know that," Zuko said through gritted teeth. "But she is legally bound to him, and she's bearing his child."

"Don't you think I know that?" Sokka said, jumping to his feet. "But don't you think she deserves better? Don't you think I deserve better?"

Some of the anger faded from Katara's face. "Sokka…"

"I lost the first girl I ever loved when I was only sixteen!" Sokka shouted. "I thought I lost Suki, but I got her back. _I got her back_. And then she died. She died, and there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn't protect her getting sick. I couldn't protect her from fading away. I couldn't keep her from dying. I lost her, just like I lost Yue."

"Sokka, losing Suki is tragic, but you can't use that as an excuse for taking a married woman," Zuko said.

"She's not a married woman to me, she's Toph," Sokka said. He strode up and down the room, his arms tight and his elbows locked. "And Toph has been waiting for someone to love her all her life, someone who's going to love her and stick with her and never leave her." He stopped, jabbing his finger to his chest. "I want to be that. I can be that. I won't leave her, and she won't leave me."

"Do you want a wife or do you want a security blanket?" Zuko mumbled under his breath.

Sokka lunged for Zuko. In a flash of flame, Zuko pinned him against the wall, but Sokka tore away, reaching for the nearest weapon he could find.

"Enough!" Katara screamed, stepping between her brother and husband. Zuko dropped the fire from his hands, turned on his heel, and stalked away.

"I love her, Katara," Sokka said hoarsely, his shoulders heaving.

"I know," she said.

He knelt on the floor, staring at the swirling patterns in the clay tiles. "I didn't even know I loved her, but I do," he said.

Katara knelt beside him, draping her arms around his shoulders. "I know," she said again. "But you're moving so fast, Sokka. You've been closed off since Suki died, and…and I don't know you're healing, or if you're just creating a new piece of yourself for Toph." She started to say something, closed her mouth, then said it anyway. "I think you're trying to replace Suki with Toph. Especially with the baby-"

"Stop telling me what I'm thinking," Sokka said, shaking her hands away roughly. He walked away, leaving his sister sitting on the floor in silence.

-----

Zuko pushed the door to Toph's room open. She sat up in bed, her face turned away from the doorway. His shoulders relaxed, draining away some of his anger. "I made you some tea," he said.

"I don't want any."

He walked over and placed the teacup in her hands. "Drink it," he said.

She didn't turn in his direction. "Are you saying that as an older brother, or as a prince of the Fire Nation?' she said dryly.

"An older brother," he said. "Although if you don't drink it, I'll pull out my royal authority."

"Keep your royal authority to yourself," she sighed, and sipped the tea. "You've gotten better."

"Uncle finally managed to teach me," he said. He sat down son the edge of her bed. "Toph-"

She kept her head turned away. "Go ahead. Lay into me. I know you want to."

Zuko leaned over and pressed his scarred cheek against her perfect one. "I'm sorry, Toph," he said.

Toph started, spilling a drop of hot tea on her hands. "What are you sorry about?"

"I'm sorry I didn't take care of you. I'm sorry I didn't stop your wedding. I'm sorry I didn't help you find a man who would love you," Zuko said bitterly.

"Zuko, that's not your job," she said softly and sadly.

"Toph, from the moment I joined the group I thought of you as my little sister," Zuko said. "And big brothers are supposed to take care of their little sisters, and I didn't do that. I'm sorry."

Toph turned towards him. "Don't be," she said quietly. "I should have used every ounce of the strength I learned to stop this…but when my mother died and my father told me it was her dying wish that I married Xian…I couldn't say no. I just couldn't, no matter how much I wanted to. I owed my parents some kind of loyalty."

"Loyalty doesn't mean throwing your life away on a worthless loser like Xian," Zuko burst out.

Toph tilted her head back, her misted eyes staring at the ceiling. She was silent for a long time. "I always loved Sokka," she said. "From the time I was twelve years old, I loved him. I know I was just a child, but I did. But he never saw me. And now he finally notices me." Her eyes welled. A single tear streamed down her cheek. "But it's too late for me."

Zuko placed his hands on her shoulders, his long fingers wrapping around them easily. "It's not too late, Toph," he said.

She closed her eyes. "Tell me about Sokka's marriage," she said.

Zuko sighed heavily. "She went back to Kyoshi after the war, but Sokka visited her constantly," he said. "They were married six years ago."

Toph let out a soundless laugh. "The same time I got married," she said.

The corner of Zuko's mouth tightened. "I guess so," he said. He ran his hand through his hair. "She moved to the south pole with him."

"Were they happy?"

"Very," Zuko said quietly.

Toph opened her eyes slowly. "How did she die?" she asked.

"A lung infection," he said. "It started off as just a cold…but within two weeks she was dead."

Toph turned her head away from him again. "And now he can't stop thinking about her," she whispered. She smiled wryly, bitterly. "I'll never have him all to myself."

-

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**Author's Notes:**

Let the angst flow…

I'm glad people haven't given up on this story! It makes me happy. This is definitely one of my favorite stories that I've ever written, and I'm glad other people enjoy it.

If you like my writing style, my original novel _Beatrice and the Cat _is on Fictionpress under the name C. Elizabeth Nicholas. I've posted the prologue and the first four chapters so far, and I'm going to post more as I continue to edit the third draft. Plus, I've written the first ten pages of the sequel, _Beatrice and the Greenfinch Carnival. _Please tell me what you think of it!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me.

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Sokka dangled his bare feet in the fountain. He may not be a waterbender, but he was still Water Tribe, and being near water was rejuvenating. The cool water in the warm night air was relaxing, drawing his thoughts away from what happened earlier. His mind wandered, fading into all of the memories he'd locked away so long ago.

-----

"I feel better," Suki rasped, struggling to sit up.

"Don't move," Sokka entreated. He set a pillow behind her. Suki sank back, smiling. She was paler than usual, except for the angry red flush high on her cheekbones. Her face seemed thinner, and her eyes larger. "Are you just telling me you feel better so I'll feel better, or do you actually feel better?"

She smiled impishly, but it was a shadow of her normal spirit. "Maybe," she said. She patted the bed beside her. "Come keep me company."

Sokka laid down and snuggled against his wife. Suki pressed her head against his. He kissed her hot forehead. "You're not better," he whispered.

"No," she sighed. She turned slightly; he tucked his knees behind hers. "I just can't seem to shake this cold. It's driving me crazy."

"I know," Sokka said, kissing her behind the ear. "Do you want me to kiss you and cuddle you and make it all better?"

"Don't use your stupid voice," Suki laughed hoarsely.

Sokka crawled over her, pulling faces. "Don't you want me your mean old cold go away?" he said, still using the voice that never failed to make his wife laugh and roll her eyes at her husband's charming stupidity.

Suki laughed. The laugh turned into a harsh, wracking cough. She bent double, coughing into her hands. Sokka sat up. "Suki, it's all right. Just breathe." She coughed harder. Sokka made her lie down on her side. "Breathe, Suki. I'm here. I'm right here."

Suko pulled her hands away. Her fingers were spotted with blood. "Sokka-"

"I'll go get a healer," he said. He kissed her on the cheek. "Lie still. I'll be right back." He kissed her on the forehead, then her cheeks, then her chin. "I'll be right back." Suki smiled weakly.

Ten minutes later he came back with the healer. Suki slumped against the pillows, gasping for breath, her fingers gripping the blankets. Sokka held her head against his chest. "Why isn't she getting better?" Sokka demanded. "It's just a cold."

The healer pulled open the front of Suki's tunic and rubbed a poultice against her hot skin. "It's not a cold anymore, it's a lung infection," she said. "It's spreading quickly. And in her condition, her body can't devote all of its attention to fighting the illness."

"What are you saying?" Sokka said. He stroked Suki's hair away from her forehead, his fingers shaking. Suki's eyes were red rimmed and unfocused.

"I'm saying she is a strong girl, but she's already far gone," the healer said. "I'll do whatever I can, but I don't know if there's enough time to save her."

"Do whatever you have to," Sokka said. "I'll do whatever I have to do to save her."

But no matter what he did, no matter what prayers he offered, no matter what he sacrificed, it didn't change the fact that Suki couldn't fight the disease that was destroying her lungs. And early one morning, when Sokka sat up in the bed they'd shared for five years, sleepless and numb, Suki died in his arms.

-----

Sokka hid his face behind his hand. He wanted to cry, but nothing came. The moon hid behind the clouds, as if ashamed to see him like this.

Soft footsteps crunched on the dry grass, then halted. He turned around. "Toph," he said thickly. "What are you doing out here? You should be asleep."

"Exactly," she sighed. She kept her distance. "This baby is so heavy, and it's so hot. I thought coming out here would help."

Sokka leaned his elbows on his knees. "You should be resting," he said. "You're so close to your due date."

Toph rested her hands on her belly and tilted her face up, letting the late night wind play across her cheeks. "I was born outside," she said softly. "My mother always hated going outside, except when she was pregnant with me. She took a walk in the garden late one night, a month and a half before I was due, and ended up going into labor. I was born in the grass three hours later."

Sokka half smiled. "That's perfect for you," he said.

Toph stood still, loose wisps escaping from her braided hair blowing around her face. "Sokka-"

"Toph, I'm sorry," Sokka said. He stepped out of the fountain, water dripping down his legs. The top of Toph's head barely grazed his shoulder.

"Why are you sorry?" she asked.

"Because…" Sokka stopped, then started again. "Toph, I love you."

She covered the short distance between them in just a few steps, standing on her toes to kiss him. Sokka closed his eyes and sank into the kiss, then pulled back. "Toph, we can't do this."

Confusion twisted across Toph's face. "What?" she demanded.

"I can't do this," Sokka said. "I think…I think I'm trying to replace Suki with you."

"I'm nothing like her!" Toph seethed. "I'm completely different from her. And I don't want to replace her!"

"I miss Suki," Sokka said. "I miss kissing her. I miss holding her." He clenched his fists, lowering his head, then jerked up. "She was going to have a baby."

Toph jerked back. Her arms closed around her hard round belly. "Suki was going to have our baby," Sokka said. "We had just found out when she got sick. The only person we ever told was Katara, because less than a month after we found out Suki was going to have a baby she was dead."

Sokka turned away from Toph's stricken, wide-eyed face. She'd gone completely white, her sightless eyes staring straight ahead. "And when I look at you, I see how much you love me, and how much you want me to love you. But I also remember that I lost my wife and my child, and how much I wish I had them back. And I see you." He cupped her cheeks in his hands; she pulled away from him with a sharp jerk. "I think I'm trying to replace my wife and baby with a new wife and baby, and that's not fair to you."

Toph stumbled back, her arms curving protectively around her swollen belly. "You don't want me," she said, her pale eyes blazing and welling at the same time. "You've never wanted me. No one wants me just to have me, they only want what I can give them." With a quick motion she pulled up a wall of earth and blocked Sokka from her. Sokka tried to pull it down.

When he finally broke through, she was gone.

Sokka stalked into the house and started throwing his belongings into his pack. He heard the door to Katara and Zuko's bedroom open. "What are you doing, Sokka?" Katara asked, her face flushed and her hair mussed.

"I can't stay here," Sokka said. "I have to go home."

"You're just heading back to that empty house?" Katara said.

Sokka shoved the last items into his bag and closed it up. "I'd rather be at that empty house than here," he said. "Tell Zuko and Yonah goodbye for me."

"What about Toph?" Katara asked quietly.

"She won't care," Sokka said. He brushed past her and stormed out the front door.

No on knew that Toph let herself out through the back.

-

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Author's Notes:

So yeah. Now you know what happened to Suki.

A lot of Tokka writers include the caveat "Suki does not exist it my world!" on their summary. I try to avoid that. It's pretty firmly established that Suki and Sokka have a relationship in canon. It's more interesting to see what different tactics authors use to work around it.

That being said, it's pretty hard to do that…


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me.

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Toph sat up dizzily. _Where am I? _she thought wearily. The bed underneath her was lumpy and hot. She touched the rough ticking that covered it, and remembered. _I walked back home last night._

She cautiously swung her legs over the side of the bed. She winced. Her ankles were swollen and her feet were sore. Toph walked gingerly towards the door and pulled back the cloth flap. The wooden floors always made her nervous; it was impossible to sense vibrations.

"It's about time you got up."

"Xian?" Toph said.

"Over here." She turned her head in the direction of his voice. "You've been asleep since I got back."

"And when did you get back?" Toph asked, wrinkling her nose.

"A couple of hours ago." She heard him walk heavily across the floor; the warped boards creaked in protest. "It's four o'clock now."

"How is my father doing?" she asked.

"Senile, as usual," Xian said. "He's sleeping, so don't wake him."

She heard him pull his cloak off the hook. "Where are you going?"  
"To see Chrisnele."

Toph winced. "Off to see your whore?" she snapped.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Xian said.

"Her son attacked me a few nights ago," Toph said.

"Which one? Toshi?"

"The oldest one."

"That's Toshi," Xian said. "He always has been dead set on me marrying Chrisnele. I hope your baby will be as feisty as hers." He patted her belly, but she jerked away.

Toph reached out, feeling for a chair. Her fingers closed around the back and she sat down. "Husbands are supposed to have only one wife, and children with only one wife," she said bitterly.

"Look, Toph, I told you when I had to marry you that I did it to please my father," Xian said. "Chrisnele's a good woman, and you're only a little girl. If I had my choice I…well, I never thought I'd be the marrying type, so I don't know if I would have married her. But I would have stayed with her, and you could have married whoever you liked." He leaned over and gave her a perfunctory kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back late. Don't wait up for me."

The door closed behind him. Toph wiped Xian's kiss off her cheek. She sat in the chair for a long time, hunched over. She didn't want to think. She didn't want to feel. She didn't want to remember his soft kisses or the gentle caresses of his hands or the warmth of his voice. He wasn't hers. He never was, and he never would be. She had to let go of him.

But she didn't want to feel sorry for herself either. She had other things to think about. Soon her baby would come into the world. Soon she would have someone else to care for and think about. This baby would be hers, all hers. This baby would love her and never leave her. She would never have to be alone again.

Toph stood up slowly, bracing her heavy stomach. She wasn't hungry, but she needed to eat something, Carefully, using the landmarks of the chair and table to orient herself, she counted her steps to the front door. She pushed it open. As soon as she stepped onto the familiar sun-parched earth she walked smoothly, more assuredly. She reached the well and dragged up a bucket of water. _I'll just eat some rice, and then go rest,_ she thought.

Toph trudged back into the house, the bucket growing heavier with every step. It hit against the back of her legs, spilling drops of water on the hem of her dress. She stepped in the house, fumbling for walls and furniture to keep her headed in the right direction.

A sudden pain gripped her stomach. "What was that?" Toph said aloud. "I guess those are more fake contractions."

She picked up the bucket to pour the water into the pot, but another pain tightened in her belly. Water trickled down her legs. "The baby's coming," Toph whispered.

The bucket slipped from her hands, spilling water over the floor. Toph stumbled back, falling into the table. She fell hard, hitting her head against the floor.

"The baby can't come now." Tears smarted behind her eyes. "Not while I'm alone."

Her head spun, blurring the edges of her consciousness. "Sokka," she whispered. Strong cramping pain radiated through her body. "Sokka!" Toph sobbed, and her head slumped back.

-

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**Author's Notes:**

Here I am again! Anyone remember this story? Because I sure didn't…

But now things are getting going. And soon you'll find out if it's a boy or a girl…


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me.

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She faded in and out, unable to breathe, to think, to move under the cloud of crippling pain. She gasped for breath, her fingers weakly scrabbling over her trembling belly. Water and blood soaked through her clothes; she shivered. She couldn't stay conscious.

-----

His laugh was uninhibited, his words his own. Emotions came easily to him; she could hear the quick changes of his mouth when he spoke. He loved and protected and cared for all he came in contact with, even her.

"Toph?"

"What, Snoozles?" she said grumpily, clinging to the side of Appa's saddle.

Warm strong arms pulled her away. "It's cold out here," Sokka said. "Stay here with the rest of us."

"Are you kidding me?" she yelped, floundering for something hold onto.

Sokka slipped his big hand under both of hers. She gripped his fingers desperately. Sokka's other arm shifted, and something soft and warm draped over them. "Hold onto me," he said.

Toph wrapped her slim arms around his muscled one, pressing her cheek against his elbow. Sokka patted her on the shoulder and promptly fell asleep.

She had no idea what he looked like, but she loved him anyway.

-----

Toph sobbed without tears, gasping with pain. She had never experienced pain like this before. She'd been stabbed, nearly drowned, battered by rocks, left paralyzed by chi blocking, and fallen plenty of times during the war, but this was nothing like she had ever gone through.

"Please be all right, baby," she said, holding her stomach. "Please, please be all right. I n-need you-" but her words were broken off by a scream. Her contractions were steadily become faster, harder, and closer together. She screamed again, praying fervently that someone passing by would hear her and help her.

-----

She stood by the pool in the Fire Lord's garden, dabbling her bare toes in the water. "Enjoying the party?" Sokka asked.

She nodded. "I'm not used to wearing such fancy clothes anymore, though," she said.

"You look very nice though," Sokka said. She could hear him smiling. A warm blush spread over her cheeks. "Someday, when you're all grown up, you'll be beautiful. And you'll make some man very happy."

He kissed her lightly on the temple. The warm blush turned into a heat wave. _Maybe I'll make you very happy_, she wanted to say.

"Sokka, come back to the party," Suki said, her footsteps light as she approached them. Toph heard the soft light sound of their lips touching. They walked away from her. Toph swallowed the emotions rising in her throat.

_I need to go home, and grow up so I'll be beautiful_, she vowed in her own childish manner. _Then he'll notice me instead of Suki._

-----

Toph's voice was a ragged wheeze, but she tried to call out anyway. She didn't know how long she had been lying on the floor, but her entire body ached and flared with the never-ending pain. The air was thick and sharp with the smell of her sweat and her blood. Her hair straggled in damp lines across her face, but she didn't have the strength to push it away. She desperately wished for even just a sip of water.

Her hands rested limply on her stomach. She could feel the steady quick thumps of her baby's heartbeat. If she hadn't felt that comforting vibration she would have given up, succumbing to the sleep that pulled at her. Toph's back arched as the pain gripped her. A harsh cry tore from her throat.

Deadened by the thick wooden planks, muffled by her pain, drowned out by the pounding of the two hearts in her body, the footsteps seemed like a figment of her imagination. "Toph?" Her only answer was a harsh, shuddering cry as the pain tightened.

"Toph? _Toph!_"

-----

Toph fingered the heavy broadcloth of her mourning dress. The thick fabric felt as heavy as her heart. "I don't want to do it," she said hoarsely.

"Toph, we just buried your mother," her father said. "I don't have the time or the energy to fight with you over this."

_But I have to see Sokka again! I have to show him that I did grow up to be beautiful!_

She was fairly certain she was beautiful. She wasn't much taller than she had been at twelve, but her baby fat had melted away, leaving soft slight curves behind. Her skin was smooth, and her hair fell past her waist in a silky curtain. More than a few times she felt male heartbeats intensify when she walked past them. _I need to see Sokka_, she thought, but what came out was "I'm not going to marry Xian Li Shan. I don't even know him."

"It doesn't matter if you know him or not," Lao said. "His father is a good man, and he has made a handsome offer for you, despite your blindness."

Toph scowled, crossing her arms. "I don't want to marry him," she said firmly.

Her father took her by the hands, an unfamiliar gesture. "It was your mother's dying wish that you marry well," he said. "She wanted to know you were taken care of. Toph, you have spent your whole life rebelling against us. Please, do this. For your mother."

Toph's arms relaxed. "I'll think about it," she said.

-----

Firm, strong hands lifted her head, propping her against a warm, sturdy chest. Toph gasped for air. "How long do you think she's been here?" a male voice asked. _Zuko_, Toph thought dizzily.

"Judging by the blood, quite a while," said a female voice. _Katara._ "She's getting close to delivering, but she's probably so worn out it'll be hard for to push."

Cool, gentle hands pushed her skirts up above to her waist. Toph whimpered as another contraction set in. Zuko reached for Toph's hand; she clutched his fingers until her knuckles turned white.

"It's all right, Toph, we're right here," Katara soothed.

_Yes, but Sokka's not._

-----

Mothers were supposed to explain to their daughters about the relationship between a husband and wife. But Toph's mother was dead. She had a general idea of what was supposed to happen, but no details.

Toph's knees shook as she unfastened the neck of her wedding gown. Sleeping with this stranger was the last thing she wanted to do, but it was what everyone expected. The elaborately embroidered red and gold gown, the same one her mother had worn on her wedding day, slid to the floor in a rich rustling sound.

She heard her husband laugh. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Well, aren't we supposed to-"

"Supposed to, yes," Xian said.

She scowled. "Well?"

He sighed. "This is a little hard to explain," he said. "See, I already have a…well, I guess now you could call her my mistress."

Toph's blood ran cold. _I'm married to a stranger, and he doesn't even want me_.

"Her name is Chrisnele. She's really a sweet woman. I think you would like her," Xian said.

"First of all, if you knew me at all, you would know I hate sweet," Toph snapped bitterly. "Secondly, I have no intention of becoming good friends with your mistress."

She heard the bed creak as he sat down. "Look, she's the one I like the best, but I can't marry her because she's not a noble," Xian said. Toph was silent. "She's going to have a baby in the spring."

She stayed silent. There were no words she could think of.

"Don't worry about consummating the marriage," Xian said. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

Toph stayed frozen. She stood beside the bed, her eyes straight ahead, and her heart broke.

-----

"Toph, you need to push, all right?" Katara coaxed.

Toph's head lolled on Zuko's shoulder. "I don't think she's got enough strength left," Zuko said.

"Either she pushes, or-" Katara cut off her words. "Toph, push now!"  
Their words swam around her in a dizzy haze. Toph tried to push, but her body shook with the effort. The pain twisted her, rippling down her body.

"Toph, _push_," Katara begged. "Please, Toph, push!"

Her arms fell against the floor, her knuckles scraping against the splintery planks. Zuko held her up, bracing her as she tried to push.

-----

Rough hands pressed against her cheeks. She struggled to brush away the cobwebs of sleep. "What are you doing?" she whispered, her voice thick..

She recognized the feel of Xian's hands on her face, her neck, and her shoulders. "C'mere," Xian mumbled.

Toph pushed him away. "You're drunk, Xian," she said. His hot breath stung her face.

Xian buried his face in the curve of her neck. "I love you, I've always loved you," he mumbled. His hands slid up her legs, feeling the curves of her hips.

Toph's heart skipped several beats. "Xian, get off me," she breathed. His hands traveled and roamed over her body. "Please, Xian, get off me."

Xian straddled her, pressing his body against hers. "Chrisnele," he murmured. "Chrisnele…"

Toph lay back, struggling to stifle the raw pain. She longed for dirt, for earth, even for dust, but there was nothing to bend. Her thin arms were strong, but not strong enough to move a drunk man. So Toph lay there, her head tilted back, as her husband drunkenly took what he wanted while calling her by another woman's name.

-----

"You're doing fine, Toph, just keep pushing," Katara urged.

"She's not going to last," Zuko said. "She doesn't have the strength to keep going."

"And she's lost a lot of blood," Katara said.

Toph closed her eyes. Her body trembled with weakness. She could feel the sticky blood congealing on her inner thighs. The baby bore down hard on her pelvis, but she didn't have the strength to scream.

"Come on, Toph, you can do it," Katara coaxed. "I think this is the last one. Give a good push."

Her body rose up of its own accord as the contraction rippled through her. Toph gasped, her head spinning and her back aching. The pain broke through in a sharp rush. She collapsed against Zuko, and realized with a sudden spike of panic that the second heartbeat was gone.

A baby's cry echoed in her ears. Toph sank to the floor, and sank into unconsciousness.

-

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**Author's Notes:**

I'm so glad people remember this story! And thank you SO MUCH for the reviews! Honestly, these have been the best reviews I've received in a long time. Usually I get the usual "great plz update" sort of reviews, but these have been fantastic. Thank you so much!

Hopefully this chapter was a bit longer. I do tend to put up short ones…but now I have left you at a cliffhanger! Is Toph still alive? Will the baby survive? Where's Sokka? Is he ever coming back for our favorite earthbender?!

Bwahaha.

Well, if you like Avatar, angst, and my writing style, I have a new story up called "Ecclesiastes." I've been working on it for quite a while, and if you like this, I hope you'll like that!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me.

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Zuko stroked a lock of dark hair away from the girl's pale forehead. "Is she all right?" Katara asked.

"She's sleeping," he whispered. He turned to his wife cradling Toph's week-old baby in her arms. "How's the baby?"

"Fine," she said. She bent over the cradle and laid the baby down. "Still not as strong as I would like."

Zuko touched the top of Toph's hand and ran his fingers across the thin jutting bones. "She's not doing well, is she?" he said.

"She's better," Katara reassured him. She rubbed her husband's shoulders. "She's doing so much better than yesterday."

Zuko watched Toph sleep. Her pale lips parted as she breathed shallowly. "We're not leaving her here," he said.

"We have to," Katara sighed. "That was the deal we made with her husband. We could take Toph and the baby for two weeks."

"Screw her husband," Zuko said fiercely. "She can't stay with him. It'll kill her." He sighed. "It'll kill me."

"I know," Katara said.

"I'm the crown prince," he said. "Can't I do anything about this?"

Katara shook her head. "She's legally bound to him," she said. "And besides, Toph's still proud. Do you think she would really let us take her away?"

Zuko sighed. He cupped his hand around Toph's cool, pale cheek. "What happened?" he said.

Katara gave him a funny look. "She had a baby," she reminded him.

"No, not that," he said, almost smiling. "How did we separate? How did we let her get away from us?"

Katara tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "We were busy," she said at last. "You were helping your uncle repair the damage the Fire Nation had done. Aang was traveling, helping at every town with a good enough sob story. Sokka and I were rebuilding the south pole." She smiled. "Sokka and I didn't even seen you until four years after the war ended. Do you remember?"

"You came for the peace treaty conference," he reminisced. "You wore a blue dress and your hair was braided around your head. And moonstones, you had a necklace of moonstones."

"I was nineteen," she said. She wrapped her arms around her husband's neck; he placed his hands on hers. "I'd forgotten how handsome you were until you knocked me over in the hallway."

"I tripped," he protested. "And then you called me a scruffy-headed jerk and stormed away, swishing your dresss around." He smiled. "I fell in love all over again."

She kissed the top of his head. "It took me a little longer," she said.

"No, it didn't."

"I know," she said. She sighed, raking her fingers through her husband's hair. "I always wondered why Toph never came. It hurt, you know. She was practically my little sister, and she didn't come to the wedding."

"Well, she would have been married herself by then," Zuko said. "We sent a letter to Toph Bei Fong, but she was Toph Li Shan."

"She should have married Sokka."

Zuko twisted around. "What?"

Katara rested her chin on her husband's shoulder. "I wanted her to marry Sokka," she confessed. "She adored him, you know. Ever since we met her." She smiled at the memory. "He never seemed to notice. It drove her nuts."

"What about Suki?" Zuko said.

"I loved Suki like she was my own sister," Katara said. "Don't get me wrong. She was a wonderful person, and I know she and Sokka loved each other deeply. But Toph…Toph needed someone, and it should have been him." She bit her lip. "I hope he comes back for her."

"He might not," Zuko said.

Katara crossed to the sleeping girl. "She's so little," she said. "Little, and lost." She smoothed the covers over her. "I just…I feel so guilty."

"Guilty about what?" Zuko said.

"We left her to this," Katara said. "We should have realized something was wrong. We should have known that there was a reason why she never answered our letters, or came to visit. We should have tracked her down and stopped everything before…before she ended up like this."

"We couldn't have known," Zuko said. "There was no way."

Katara smoothed an errant strand of dark hair away from Toph's pale face. "I remember when we said goodbye to her," she said. "I never thought it would be this long until we saw her again."

-----

Toph flicked the pai sho tile across the table, smacking her opponent in the forehead. "Ha! I win!" she hollered.

Sokka rubbed the red mark between his eyes. "You played a green vine, and that does nothing," he said. "Besides, you can't win just because you threw stuff at me."

Toph grabbed another tile and chucked it, hitting him square in the nose. "Do I win now?" she said.

"I think you broke my nose."

"Men are such babies."

Sokka leaped up and grabbed Toph around her waist. "What are you going to do now, huh? What now?" he said. He tickled her ribs, making her shriek. "I think I win!"

"Stop it!" she laughed. "Stop! I can't breathe! Ow, Sokka! I'm gonna hyperventilate!"

He tossed her over his shoulder. "Who's the best pai sho player in the world?" he said.

"Iroh," she said.

"Say it," he teased, dangling her over his shoulder. "Who plays the best game of pai sho?"

"You, okay? You!" she laughed.

He set her on her feet. Her cheeks were pink and tears of laughter clustered on her long dark eyelashes. "I knew you'd come to your senses," he said.

"You only won because you cheated," she said, dragging her sleeves over her eyes.

"So did you."

"That's because I don't know what tiles I'm holding."

"Oh, right."

"You didn't break my pai sho table, did you?" Iroh said. "You can't break the pai sho table of the Fire Lord." He raised his arms and wiggled his fingers. "There will be dire consequences!"

Toph laughed and flung her arms around the old man. "I didn't break anything," she said sweetly. "It was Sokka's fault."

"My fault?" Sokka repeated in mock horror.

Iroh pinched Toph's cheek. "You can't fool me," he said. "The prettiest flower can contain the deadliest poison."

Toph wrinkled her nose. "I'm not a pretty flower," she said.

Sokka looked her up and down. Her long dark hair hung over her shoulders in two silky braids, her cheeks and lips were a rosy shade of pink, and her pale green dress made her pale eyes seem brighter. "I dunno," he said. "I think you might be getting pretty." She elbowed him.

Iroh kissed her on the cheek. "I have seen many girls grow up into pretty young women, and you will be one of the loveliest," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "You're just saying that," she said.

"I'm not," Iroh said. "When I was a boy growing up in the palace, my favorite playmate was a little tomboy named Anhura. She could climb trees ten times faster than I could, no matter how hard I tried. I never thought she was pretty, until she invited me to her fourteenth birthday party and I kissed her on accident."

"How did you kiss on accident?" Sokka said.

"I tripped."

"Onto her face?"

"What happened?" Toph said, elbowing Sokka in the ribs.

"I married her," Iroh smiled.

Toph dropped her head, her ears turning pink. Sokka poked her slyly. "Hear that, Toph? There's still hope for you," he said.

She raised her little fist to punch him in the nose again, but Katara ran into the room. "Toph, there you are," she said. "You have to go."

"Go where?" she said.

Katara's blue-gray eyes were solemn. "Your parents are here."

Silence. The three of them stared at her. "You're joking," Sokka said.

Katara shook her head. "They're here to take you home."

"I am home," Toph retorted. "This is a stupid joke, Katara."

Katara took her by the hands. "I'm not joking," she said softly.

Toph pulled her hands away. "I don't believe you," she said.

The broad doors to the balcony opened. Zuko strode towards them. "Toph," he said. "Someone's here to see you."

She whirled around. "Hello, Toph," her father said.

Sokka stared at the Bei Fongs. Lao looked at his child implacably, as though he was confused by this small girl and her inexplicable actions. But Poppy gazed upon her daughter hungrily, her eyes too bright and her thin cheeks too red, and she gathered up her silk skirts and ran to her. "You're safe," her mother whispered. "Oh, darling, I thought we'd lost you."

Toph, frozen, stood in her mother's embrace for a moment before twining her arms around her neck. "I'm okay," she said in a curiously thick, muffled voice.

Poppy pulled back and cupped her daughter's face in her hands. "I thought I'd never see you again," she said. "I thought-" She broke off in a coughing fit, turning her head away and covering her white lips with her fist.

"Mom?" Toph said. "Are you all right?"

Poppy dropped her hand. Her pale fingers were lightly spotted with blood. "I'm fine," she reassured, smiling brightly. "I'm so glad to see you."

"We've come to take you home," Lord Lao said. "Say your goodbyes, dear."

Toph pulled away. "I'm not going," she said. "I'm happy here. I don't want to go back."

Poppy looked down at the floor. Lao cleared his throat. "Just for a little while," he said. "Your mother has missed you greatly. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Of course it does," Toph said, almost gruffly. Poppy coughed into her hand again. "I just…I'm happy. _Really _happy."

"Come home, Toph," Lao urged. "At least for a while." He glanced at his frail wife.

Toph was silent. The others stared at her. "All right," she relented. "For a while."

Poppy relaxed, beaming, and clasped her thin hands together. "I'm so glad, darling," she said.

"Only for a while," Toph repeated, her brow furrowing.

"Of course," her father said. "Say your goodbyes to your friends."

She turned to them, somber and pale. "I don't want to," she whispered.

Katara hugged her tightly. "We'll see you soon," she said as she wrapped her arms around the younger girl. Toph reached up and gripped her shoulders. "And we'll write to you."

"I can't read, remember?" Toph said, her voice muffled.

"I'll read them to you," Poppy said eagerly. "And I'll write letters back. Just tell me what you want, and I'll write it."

Katara pulled back and smiled at the young girl, the child who was the nearest thing to a sister she had ever had. "See?" she said. "It'll be fine."

Toph nodded. Zuko hugged her next, lifting her up to her toes as she wrapped her arms around her neck. "Thank you," he said.

"For what?" she said.

He kissed her temple. "For everything," he said. "If you hadn't given me a chance, back at the air temple, things never would have ended up how they did." He lifted her off her feet; she buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Thanks."

She drew back, her silvered eyes overly bright. "Don't mention it," she mumbled.

Iroh opened his arms. "Come here, little one," he said. He hugged Toph tightly, the slight girl lost in his embrace. She tilted her head and he whispered something in her ear. When she stepped back, bright, shining tears clung to her eyelashes.

Sokka stifled the lump in his throat. She looked so small and lost. She rubbed her knuckles in her eyes in a childish gesture, wiping the tears away. He reached over and took her by the hands. "Don't cry," he implored.

"I'm not," she said thickly.

He drew her to his side, feeling the warmth of her slender, compact little body against his. She leaned against his chest. Sokka pushed her bangs off her forehead, gazing into her sightless eyes. When he first met her, the pale blank looks had been unsettling. Now he was going to miss them.

"We'll see each other again," he promised. She nodded. He bent to kiss her lightly, chastely on the cheek.

"Sokka, I-" she started to say, turning her head towards him.

His lips touched hers. For a moment he kissed her, feeling the warmth of her breath and the softness of her skin, and then they broke apart. "What was that for?" she gasped.

"It was an accident," Sokka protested.

"I told you it was possible," Iroh said, smiling broadly.

Toph touched her small fingertips to her lips. "Great," she said. "My first kiss, and it's an accident."

Katara laughed and hugged Toph one last time. "I don't think it counts," she said. She kissed Toph's forehead. "We'll see you soon."

Poppy took her daughter by the hand. They looked terribly alike- pale, petite, dark-haired, green-eyed. Sokka watched the Bei Fongs go. The doors closed, shutting in a terrible, unsettling clunk.

They sat around the balcony for a while, staring at the pai sho table and the passing birds and the setting sun. Katara sighed. The doors opened, and for a moment they brightened, half-expecting a familiar little figure to dash into their midst, laughing at her newest prank.

"What's wrong?" Aang said, glancing around the circle.

"You look like someone just died," Suki commented. She strolled over to Sokka and draped her arm around his waist. "What's wrong?"

"Toph's parents came to take her home," Sokka said.

"That's a shame," Suki said. "It's going to be awfully quiet around here with her gone."

She kissed him, tall enough to reach his lips without stretching on her toes. Sokka kissed her back, but with a sudden stab of disloyalty he thought of a petite girl staring up at him with startled doe eyes. He pushed the thought away and kissed Suki again.

-

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**Author's Notes:**

Want to hear a funny story? This chapter wasn't originally in the story.

The feedback I've been getting has been absolutely phenomenal. Thank you so much for your wonderful, in-depth reviews. It's really helping me fine-tune this story.

I've had a lot of people ask me how on earth it got to the point where ten years had passed and the Gaang hadn't heard from Toph. I started thinking about it myself, realized I had never written anything about it, and thus this chapter was born. Originally, it was just the bit with Zuko and Katara, but it wasn't working so I gave it a break. Then I had the idea for the flashback, and everything fell into place.

I also had a reviewer mention why Toph is in love with Xian. She's not. (I think there's a part where I need to clarify my writing…so it's my bad!) As you can tell from Poppy's actions in the flashback, she's not well. Lao was able to get Toph home by showing her that her mother was sick. Once Toph was home, he could keep her there by convincing her that if she left, it would kill her mother. Her mother passed away when Toph was about fifteen years old, and from there Lao could convince Toph to marry Xian because it was something her mother wanted. All in all, there was a lot of manipulation going on. It also explains why she never answered their letters after a while- when her mother died, her father just threw the letters away.

So yeah.

Also…you know how Aang only appears randomly at the tail end of the chapter? Yeah, that's because I forgot about him. I had written it almost all the way through before I realized he wasn't there, and I really didn't want change it, and I was already planning on Suki's entrance…so I just tacked him on the end. I hate writing Aang. It's just not exciting for me. Same for Manta Oyamada when I write Shaman King stories. I think Manta has appeared in two of the thirty or so stories I've written. Gah.

I'm also probably going to write a story about Iroh and Anhura. Anyone interested in it? Maybe?

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this nice long chapter that was written especially with you lovely readers in mind. Please review! It'll seriously make my day!

(Also, if anyone gets the Anastasia reference in this chapter, I love you. You're awesome.)


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me.

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She woke slowly, her tongue dry and heavy in her mouth. The air of the small room felt hot and thick; it weighed heavily on her chest and stifled her breathing. She opened her eyes, even though it didn't matter.

Her husband lay beside her, breathing heavily and peacefully. For a moment she envied him. His life was unruffled- still as peaceful and untroubled as it was before the baby's birth. But she heard a soft whimper, and she crept out of bed without a second thought.

She walked slowly to the cradle. "I know, I know," she whispered. She reached into the cradle and lifted the baby into her arms. The little one still wasn't very strong. She could tell. The tiny fingers didn't grasp hers as strongly as they ought; the child's cries were soft and mewling.

Toph settled into the chair by the fireplace and cuddled her two-month-old baby against her shoulder. The soft slight warmth of the baby's body calmed her restless heartbeat. She shifted slightly, tucking her legs underneath her, and leaned her head back.

Her head ached dully. She was tired, but she couldn't sleep. She needed to eat something, but she wasn't hungry. She wanted something, but she didn't know what would fill the voice. Listless and dull, she stroked the baby's hair and lost herself in thoughts.

She knew she wasn't well. It was as if she was fading- like she was stretched too thin, and she was going vanish at any moment. The baby's birth had sapped her strength, and none of Katara's gentle nursing or Zuko's careful attention had brought it back.

She remembered being young and healthy. When she was a child of twelve she could run all day without losing her breath. Of course, that was when she could still bend whenever she wanted. She could do anything when she wanted, whenever she pleased. Now she was old at the age of twenty-two, lost in a world that no longer remembered her. Zuko and Katara could offer all the support they could, but in the long run, they had each other, and she had nothing.

Toph pressed her lips to her baby's soft round cheek. "You want me, don't you?" she murmured. The baby cooed and reached for her mouth, and her heart nearly burst.

"I love you, I do," she said. "But I never thought I would end up here."

Her eyes burned. She dashed at them, but no tears fell. Toph held the baby against her heart, feeling the two beats together, and tried to think of happier things.

-----

"Just get out of here!" he shouted. "Run!" He took her by the shoulders and ran. She skidded through the sand, the gritty particles clinging to her legs and digging into her bare feet. He shoved her to the ground. Her face hit the sand hard. She rose up, spluttering and coughing.

"Get down," he said through his teeth. He pushed her down again.

"What are you doing?" she sputtered.

He curved his arms around her; his chest pressed against her back. "Saving you," he said, his breath hot against her ear.

She hid under the curve of his body. Sand swirled around them, stinging their eyes and constricting their air. His big, long-fingered hands covered her tiny ones. She drew closer to him, breathing in the warm scent of his skin. He tucked his chin around the curve of her neck; his lips were perilously close to her cheek.

Aang's screams echoed over the desert. She closed her eyes tightly, but hot tears dripped over her cheeks and lips anyways. "What's wrong?" he said. She turned her head away. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

He ran his hands over her arms and legs, checking for injuries. She wriggled away. "Stop it," he scolded. He sat up, still leaning over her. "Stop it, let me see."

"I'm not hurt," she said. She pushed his gentle hands away. "I'm not."

He reached over to wrap his arms around her. She huddled away from him. "If you're not, what's wrong?" he snapped.

She rubbed her dirty knuckles against her eyes. "It's my fault, all right?" she said. "It's my fault this happened."

"Toph," he said. "You didn't do anything wrong. You tried to save Appa, and you definitely saved us."

She wrapped her arms around her knees. "I should have saved everybody," she said dully.

The wind whipped at their faces and hair. His hand crept to her knee; she didn't fight him. "You didn't do anything wrong," he said again.

She placed her tiny fingers over his. Dissatisfied with this, he pulled her against his chest. At first she froze, but she allowed him to hold her with her head against his heart. He was kind and gentle and his touch was soothing.

She was in love.

-----

Sokka woke slowly, leisurely. Something soft and warm pressed against his chest; he smiled at it for a moment before he realized it was nothing but his pillow.

Bleary eyed and dejected, he pushed it over the edge of the bed; it fell with a satisfying thump. He'd been dreaming it was a girl again, a soft warm girl with long soft hair. _Suki never had long hair, _he thought.

He scratched the back of his neck. It had been a long time since he had dreamed about their travel days. He remembered that hot day in the desert, when Appa was missing and Aang was furious. Sokka smiled at the memory of Toph clinging to him, rendered completely blind in the blowing sand, then frowned.

He swung his legs over the side of the big bed and ambled to the window. Patches of sparse brown grass poked through the snow, evidence of the warm autumn weather the south pole was going through. The only sound was his feet smacking the cool stone as he traipsed out of the bedroom towards the kitchen. The other villagers had thought he was crazy to build a house out of something other than ice, and if he had been in their position he would have agreed. But after traveling throughout the world and experiencing all types of structures, he had come to realize that stone made the best house.

_Toph would like this house_.

He shoved the thought away and pulled a basket of eggs out of the icebox. Once again, breakfast by himself. He sighed. A few months ago, his sister made him all his meals, he didn't have to worry, he wasn't alone…

Sometimes he thought about moving to the Fire Nation and living with Katara and her family. He lived in the Fire Nation palace with them until their father died and he had to step up as chief of the southern Water Tribe. It was the first time he had ever been separated from his sister for more than a week or two.

_I wonder what it was like for Toph to leave her home and her family_, he wondered idly. _She never went farther than her village before she met us. That must have been-_

Sokka stopped, shook his head and started tossing eggs into the skillet. He had tried as hard as he could for the past three months since he'd left the village to stop thinking about Toph, and make himself think about Suki.

At first it had been easy to think about her. There were still reminders of his wife everywhere in the house- her pillow, her clothes, her fans. The empty place where she had sat at the table. The green cloak hanging by the door. The painting from their wedding. He forced himself to look at the reminders, made himself think about both the moments she sat beside him laughing and the moments she gasped for breath in his arms, and he cried over her.

But slowly Suki was falling from his thoughts. Slowly, ever so slowly, he started thinking of a small, delicate, strong girl with rich black hair and pale green eyes. He wondered if her husband was taking care of her. He wondered if her baby was a boy or a girl. He wondered if she missed him.

_I need to stop thinking about her_, Sokka chided himself.

Breakfast. He needed to think about breakfast.

The eggs crackled and popped merrily in the cast-iron skillet. He hummed under his breath as he flipped and scrambled them.

Someone knocked on the door. He moved the eggs from the heat and ambled towards the door. "What is it?" he said.

One of the village girls stood on his front step, blushing pink. "A letter came for you," she said. She held out a big fat envelope.

Sokka took it eagerly as he recognized his sister's handwriting. "Thanks," he said absently, closing the door with his hip as he ripped open the letter.

The first line screamed WE'RE HAVING A BABY! in huge letters. Sokka grinned. "I am not surprised," he mumbled to himself.

He plunked down in a chair by the fire and read the rest of it. The letter alternated between Katara's smooth round handwriting and Zuko's cramped lettering. They wrote about the upcoming baby (a month and a half along, still no mood swings…yet), about Yonah (she was starting her first year of school, she was so much smarter than any other child in her class), and about life in the Fire Nation palace (Ty Lee was getting married to that earthbender with the funny mustache, Iroh sends his love). Sokka smiled as he reached the end, and then frowned.

_I'm so glad you came to visit us,_ Katara wrote. _Please come visit us at the palace soon. We all missed you when you left, especially Toph. She seemed very sad that you didn't stay long enough to see the baby._

The rest of the paragraph was all of the usual pleasantries and mushy "I-love-you-so-much-you're-my-favorite-brother" sort of thing that Katara closed all of her letters with. Still frowning, Sokka folded it up to put it back in the envelope, then realized there was another piece of paper inside. He picked it up and squinted at his brother-in-law's spiky handwriting.

_Sokka_, Zuko wrote. _I told Katara to tell you this, but I don't think she will. Toph isn't well. She nearly died giving birth- she was left alone for hours. The baby survived, but neither of them are doing well. I thought you ought to know._

"Guilt trip much?" Sokka said aloud. He sighed. He _did _feel guilty. Reluctantly he folded up the note; another sentence was scribbled on the back in big, loopy script.

_GO VISIT HER, YOU IDIOT._

Sokka laughed. That was his sister, all right.

He folded the flap of the envelope inside and set it down on the table beside him, then got up and strolled back to the kitchen. The eggs still sat in the skillet, waiting for him.

_So she had the baby_, he thought, putting the frying pan over the stove again.

Was it a boy or girl? What did she name it? Did it look like her or her husband?

_The baby had better look like her._

Did her husband like the baby? Did he take turns waking up in the middle of the night to take care of it? Or was she all alone in that wooden house, killing herself to take care of her child?  
Sokka dumped the eggs into the sink. In ten minutes' time he was packed; in twenty minutes he was walking towards the dock.

"Good job, Katara and Zuko," he said aloud, his breath puffing into the cold autumn air. "You just had to guilt me into this."

He shouldered his bag and walked through the ankle-deep snow. _Don't lie_, his subconscious said. _You're thrilled to have an excuse._

Sokka pushed the thought away, along with the sudden stab of disloyalty towards a certain memory with blue-green eyes, and kept on.

-

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**Author's Notes:**

Oh, goodness. I rewrote the last chapter...which made me rewrite this one...and now I am REWRITING THE WHOLE ENDING. It still ends the same, but the path to get there is different. Honestly, I think it's a vast improvement over what I had originally. But still. Rewriting. Gah.

The dream that Toph has comes from the end of "The Desert" in season 2. I wanted to pinpoint the moment where Toph first developed a crush on Sokka, and it seemed to be the most logical point.

Alternately, that scene was inspired by my last rehearsal. I'm playing the role of Dora Strang in a cutting from the play Equus. There's a sequence where the main character, Alan, is recounting to his psychologist the first time he saw a horse. His father pulled him off the horse, and his mother tries to comfort him, but he doesn't want any of it. It's been a difficult scene for me, so writing Sokka and Toph like Dora and Alan was actually rather therapeutic.

I want to thank everybody for the marvelous reviews. I really appreciate them. Good stories don't get written without constructive criticism. My biggest problem at the moment is my story "Ecclesiastes." It's quickly developing into an epic, and it's giving me boatloads of trouble. Thank goodness this one is coming together without much problem.

So...yeah! Thank you for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

(Also...next chapter you'll find out the name and gender of Toph's baby. Has the suspense been killing you?)


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me.

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Sokka's legs ached, but he could see the small farm rising up in front of him. The whitened, shriveled stalks of the dead sunflowers scattered across the ground, but the grass seemed slightly greener. Apparently Katara and Zuko's plan to redirect the river's flow had worked.

_I wonder if Toph is home_, he thought. He squinted in the autumn sun. _Who am I kidding? Her husband doesn't let her leave the house._

He halted. _What am I supposed to do about her husband? _he thought. _I can't imagine he'll really be excited about some strange man hanging around his wife all the time._

He shrugged. _I'll cross that bridge when I get to it_.

Sokka approached the gate and halted dead in his tracks. His heart thudded to the pit of his stomach.

A fresh grave marker stretched high above the pale dead sunflower stalks. The wood was splintered around the edges, newly whittled away. Sokka's breath caught in his lungs.

_Is the baby dead? _He wondered. _Or…Toph…_

The wooden grave marker blurred in his vision. Instead he saw the blue and white funeral barge, draped in green cloth, floating away from the snowy shore. He shook his head and kept going. With heavy, aching steps he walked slowly to the front door. He knocked.

There was no answer.

He cracked the door open. It was quiet and still, with shafts of heavy afternoon sunlight wafting through the darkened room. An empty cradle stood by the hearth. Someone sat in a chair with their back to the door. He stepped closer.

The person turned around slightly. Sokka's heart plummeted to his shoes.

"Sokka?" Toph whispered.

He'd spent a week moving as fast as he could. But now that he was here he couldn't move.

"Is that you, Sokka?"

Her voice was angry, and hopeful all at the same time. He cleared his throat. "It's me, Toph," he choked out.

She stood up, resting her hand heavily on the back of the chair. Her other arm held a blanket-wrapped bundle. One side of her tunic drooped, baring a narrow white shoulder. Her hair was tied loosely behind her, cascading down her back in careless waves. The light caught her pale green eyes and made them shine brightly. She was even more beautiful than he remembered.

"I knew that was you," she said. "You're the only person I know who walks that heavily."

He couldn't help but grin. "Snarky as ever, aren't you?" he said.

She shrugged. "I guess," she said.

The baby in her arms made a soft mewling noise and waved a tiny fist. She adjusted the little one against her chest. Her expression softened as she kissed the baby's forehead.

Sokka stepped closer. "So…you had the baby?" he said.

"No, I gave birth to a pig," she said absently.

He laughed. "I guess that was stupid," he said. He scratched the back of his neck. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Toph smiled. "This is my son," she said proudly. She pulled back the blankets, revealing a beautiful baby. Thick, glossy black hair covered his head. He was fair skinned and rosy and long lashes curled on his cheeks. The baby blinked, revealing large green eyes, as deep and rich as a piece of polished jade.

"He's beautiful," Sokka said. "He…he looks just like you."

Toph's smile widened. "I think he has dimples," she said. She slid her finger along her son's cheek. "I named him Haruhi."

"Haruhi," Sokka tried. "You picked a good name."

Toph felt for the cradle and set the baby down, then tucked the blankets around him. She pulled her tunic back over her shoulder.

"So…I saw the grave marker," he said quietly. "Who passed away?"

_Your husband. I hope it was your husband. Was it your husband?_

Toph's face fell. "My father," she said. "The drought over the summer was too much for him to handle. He just became so weak."

"I'm sorry," Sokka said.

She folded her arms, her mouth turned down and her eyes staring in the wrong direction. "So why did you come back, Sokka?" she asked.

"What?" he said, startled.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Come on," she said. "You made it perfectly clear when you left that you weren't in love with me. So if you didn't come back out of love, why are you here?"

He said nothing. "I thought as much," she said under her breath, and she crossed to the window. She leaned on the ledge, turning her face towards the late afternoon sun.

"I came back…because Katara told me to," he said.

It wasn't exactly a lie.

She turned towards him. His stomach twisted. Now that she was standing in the light, he could see clearly that his sister had been right. Toph wasn't well. Her cheeks were sunken, making the point of her chin ever sharper. Her large, luminous green eyes were bright- too bright. Her small hands trembled as she clasped her bony fingers together.

She sighed. _Was she disappointed? _he wondered.

"That sounds like good ol' Sugar Queen," she said, in the familiar bravura he remembered so clearly.

"Katara said you weren't recovering well," he said quietly.

Her white cheeks flushed red. "What's she talking about?" Toph snapped. "I'm fine."

"She said the birth nearly killed you," he persisted. Toph turned away, gripping the window ledge. "She said that the baby…that Haruhi wasn't very strong either."

She hung her head. Sokka crossed his arms. "So?" he said. "Is she right?"

Toph didn't look up. "Haruhi and I are fine," she said in a low voice.

"Stop lying," he said urgently, crossing to the room. He took her by the arm and relaxed his grip when he realized how thin and fragile she felt. "Forget your pride and tell me."

"My son and I are fine," she repeated, pulling away from him.

"Well, if it isn't the water tribe man again."

Toph drew back, trailing her fingers along the wall. Sokka straightened up. "Xian," he said.

Toph's husband leaned against the doorframe. "So what brings you back here?" Xian asked.

"Prince Zuko and Princess Katara asked me to stay in the village and report on how things are progressing," Sokka lied.

Toph turned at him sharply. She knew he was lying.

"Isn't that nice for you, taking pity on us poor peasants," Xian said. "So why are you in my house?"

The plan formed before he had time to think it all the way through. "I need a housekeeper," he said. "You know. While I'm here. Light housework, that sort of thing."

"And you want my blind wife to do it for you?" Xian said skeptically.

Sokka shrugged. "I don't know anyone else in this town," he said. Xian still looked unsure. "I'll pay well."

"What about the baby?" Xian asked.

"She can bring the baby with her," Sokka said.

"Then I don't really care," Xian shrugged. "Toph, are you going to do it?"

She was silent.

"Well?" her husband pressed.

She raised and lowered one shoulder. "I'll go," she said quietly.

-

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**Author's Notes:**

And thus begins the new ending of "When Things Change"!

If I hadn't changed it, this would be the ending, and the next chapter would be the epilogue. But I realized that I was dissatisfied with it, so I'm rewriting the end. There's going to be probably five more chapters, maybe three. Let me know what you think! What do you want to see happen between Sokka and Toph? Do you want to see them get together? Or should I just kill everyone off? (Just kidding. But seriously...what do you want to see? I'm open to all sorts of suggestions!)

And what do you think about Toph's little son Haruhi?! Were you expecting it to be a boy?


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me.

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The early morning sun felt cold against her skin. She drew the blanket tighter around the baby as he whimpered in protest. "It's all right, it's all right," she soothed. "We're almost there."

Her bare feet skidded across the cool packed dirt. She knew the way to the little rented house easily enough. She'd been walking there every day for the past two weeks, after all.

Keeping the house clean was simple enough. Sokka didn't do much to mess things up. In fact, he mostly just kept to himself in his own room

"Why did he even bother with this?" Toph murmured in Haruhi's ear. The baby nibbled on his own tiny hand; Toph kissed the side of his head. "Oh, well."

She shifted the baby to her hip and opened the door. "Sokka?" she called. "I'm here."

He didn't answer, but she could feel his heavy shuffling at the other end of the house. She took off her cloak with one hand and draped it over a chair. It was warmer in the house, but the clay tile floor still felt cool and reassuring.

"Sokka," she called again.

Still no answer. She rolled her eyes. "Well, baby, it's just us," she said. "You get to play here while Mommy works. Fun, isn't it?" She blew a raspberry on Haruhi's cheek; he laughed and batted at her ear.

"You're awfully cute for it being this early," Sokka yawned. He stood a little ways behind her; she could feel him watching her.

"I'm not cute, he is," Toph said. "That is, until he turns eleven and gets rebellious. And taller than me."

"Yeah, he'll probably be taller than you," he said.

"Shut up," she smiled. "Right now he's little and cute, and I'm going to enjoy it."

"Speaking of which," Sokka said. He reached over and took the baby out of her arms.

"What are you doing?" she protested. "Give me my baby!"

"Toph, it's eight o'clock in the morning, and I'm in no mood to argue," he said. "The house is spotless. There's no point in you staying here."

"Fine," she retorted. "Give me my child, and I'll go home."

"Go home to what?" he said quietly. "A cold wooden house, all by yourself?"

"I'll be fine," she said.

Sokka placed his hand on her shoulder. "Go rest," he said kindly. "You look like you could use some sleep."

Her resolve was weakening. "But what about-" she started to say.

"I'll take care of Haruhi for you," he said.

"What do you know about babies?" she retorted.

"Plenty, I'll have you know," he said. "I did my fair share of babysitting once Yonah was born." He gently lifted her chin and kissed her on the forehead. "Go rest."

She swallowed. "All right," she said, before she realized what she was saying. He propelled her towards the hallway.

Toph walked towards the bedroom. _My head does ache_, she thought. She rubbed her eyes. Her arms sagged, tired from carrying the baby around all day. _Maybe a rest for a little while won't be that bad. _

She stumbled into the bed and climbed under the covers. The blankets felt cool and smooth against her skin, and her head sank into the soft pillow. Toph stifled a yawn as she settled on her stomach.

The bed felt comfortable and familiar. She slept here during the hot summer days when she was waiting for the baby to arrive. And then she slept there during the hazy, feverish nights after Haruhi was born. It was almost homey.

Toph buried her face in the coolness of her pillow and took a deep breath. Her mind was already beginning to drift into sleep.

_I wonder if Sokka's taking good care of Haruhi_, she thought idly. _He'd make a good father_.

She blushed at her own sleep-drugged thoughts, but before she could amend it, she fell fast asleep.

-----

Toph bolted upright, dizzy and disoriented. "Where's Haruhi?" she mumbled. She leaned over the edge of the bed, feeling around for the familiar wooden cradle. "Where's- _oof_."

She tumbled out of the bed and onto the floor, smacking her head in the process. "Ow," she grumbled. She struggled into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes. "Oh. I'm at Sokka's."

Toph stood up slowly, regaining her balance. The sunlight streamed through the window- it had be late in the afternoon by now. She walked slowly down the hallway in search of her baby.

"…can you do that, Haruhi? Can you make the noise a sky bison makes?" she heard Sokka say. He threw his head back and did a fairly accurate imitation. Haruhi giggled.

Toph sat down and pressed her hands against the floor. The vibrations sank into her palms, giving her a clear picture. Sokka sat on the rug with Haruhi on his knee. He held the baby with an easy sort of calm. A couple of soft plush toys- doubtless left behind by Yonah- tossed across the floor. Sokka picked one up and snuggled it against the baby's cheek. Haruhi laughed and reached for it.

"You like Mr. BunBun, huh?" Sokka said. "Do ya? Do ya?" He bounced the stuffed panda rabbit around Haruhi, making kissing noises every time the toy touched the baby's cheeks.

Toph smiled. _I never thought Sokka would be this good with a baby, _she thought.

"You're a cute one. Did you know that?" Sokka said. "Just like your mother."

Toph's cheeks warmed. _Did he really just say that? _

"Speaking of your mother, let's go see if she's awake," Sokka said. "Want to go see Mama?"

Toph scrambled to her feet and ran lightly down the hall. She dove into bed, yanked the covers over her head and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, the door creaked open. She tried to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible as Sokka approached.

-----

Sokka tried not to smile. _She's totally awake, _he thought. But she looked so sweet, lying there with her cheeks flushed pink and her dark hair strewn across the pillow. She was still so thin and pale, though- not nearly as bright and active and vibrant as she had been as a child. "Want to wake up Mommy?" he whispered in Haruhi's ear. The baby babbled softly.

Sokka sat down beside Toph and leaned over her. He could feel her breath against his cheek. "Toph," he said softly.

She roused slightly. "Mm," she grunted.

"Time to wake up, Toph," he said.

"Later," she murmured, turning onto her back and flinging her arms above her head.

"Not later, now," he said, tickling her lightly behind the ear. She scowled and ducked away. Sokka set the baby down beside her.

Toph opened her bright, blank eyes and smiled as Haruhi nuzzled her cheek. "Hi, sweet boy," she said.

"Hello to you too," he smirked.

She punched him lightly in the knee. "Not you," she said.

Sokka laid down beside her, propping his head up on his elbow. "I can't be your sweet boy?" he teased.

"Haruhi's a little boy," she said. "You're a…a man."

"Why the hesitation?" he asked.

Toph smoothed Haruhi's scruff of dark hair. "You're awfully close to me," she said under her breath.

He leaned in closer, until he could breathe in the scent of soap and lotus blossoms that clung to her soft skin. "Does it make you uncomfortable?" he said.

She reached up and trailed her fingers along the sharp curve of his jaw. "Maybe," she whispered.

He could feel her heartbeat, rapid fire and trembling. _Is this what it's like for her all the time? _he thought. _To feel everything, to sense everything this sharply…_

Toph's lips were perilously close to his. If he leaned just a little bit farther, he could kiss her.

She half-closed her eyes; her long dark lashes brushed against her cheeks. His heart thudded against his ribs. The urge to kiss her was overwhelming.

Haruhi babbled and pressed his tiny hand to his mother's cheek. Toph blinked; Sokka leaned back. "I guess he wants something," Sokka said.

"I'd better take him home," Toph said. She sat up slowly, holding Haruhi against her shoulder.

"Want me to walk you there?" Sokka offered.

She ducked her head over Haruhi and kissed him on the cheek. "Sure," she said quietly.

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**Author's Notes:**

Oh, the sexual tension...

I had to rewrite the ending of this, but I'm pretty pleased with how the story's going to turn out.

Also, Sokka and Haruhi are just presh.

I hope you like this! Tell me what you think...I'm always open to suggestions. Like...do you want to see Sokka and Toph get together? Or should they sadly go their separate ways?


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me.

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She could feel the warmth of the sun fading the longer they walked. Haruhi fussed in her aching arms; she shouldered him and patted his little back.

"Let me carry him," Sokka said for the umpteenth time.

"Fine," she sighed, handing him over. Sokka took the baby with practiced ease and she stretched her sore fingers.

"You're not doing very well, are you?" he said bluntly.

She scowled. "I'm fine," she said.

He fell silent, and the baby gurgled. "Toph," he said, his voice more gentle than she had ever remembered. "You're not fooling me."

She cracked her knuckles absentmindedly. "So I haven't been feeling all that great lately," she shrugged. "I'll be fine."

"You're not going to be fine," he persisted. "Living here is killing you. This village is dying, and you'll go right along with it."

"Don't be stupid," she snapped. "I'll get better."

"There's no way you can," he said, his voice rising. "There's not enough to eat here, and not enough water. You don't have any friends here. And your husband doesn't take care of you at all."

"I don't need anyone to take care of me," she argued.

He caught her by the elbow. "Let me take care of you," he said. "Come with me."

She stopped in her tracks. A strangled, incredulous laugh bubbled up in her throat. "Let you take care of me?" she repeated. "Since when?"

She pulled her arm free as he balanced her son in the crook of his elbow. "You left me," she said, her voice tight and clipped. "You knew I needed you, and you left. You _chose _to leave. And I had my baby, and I'm raising him the best that I can, and I don't need you."

She could feel the rapid, dull thuds of his heart, sensing his shame and sadness and regret. She didn't care.

"I think you need me more than I need you," Toph said. "You want a replacement for Suki- someone to keep you warm at night. You don't want to take care of me. You just want the empty spaces in your life filled in."

She reached over and took her baby back. Sokka didn't fight back. "Will I see you again?"he asked.

"I made a promise," she said. "I keep mine, so I'll see you tomorrow."

She turned sharply and continued down the road, cradling Haruhi against her shoulder. Sokka stayed still, watching her.

Toph walked home alone as her temper began to cool. It wasn't the first time she regretted something she had said, and it probably wouldn't be the last. But she had never had such a violent desire to turn and run after someone and apologize.

Unconsciously she held her chin higher, ever the proud Bei Fong daughter. She had gotten through much, much more difficult circumstances than this. Everything would be fine. It would have to be.

She opened the door to her husband's house, setting her feet gingerly on the coarse wooden floor. "I'm home," she called.

"Finally," Xian said, his voice echoing from somewhere within the little house. "It's a wreck in here. You have any plans for that?"

She counted out the steps to her son's cradle and set Haruhi down carefully. "I just spent all day cleaning a house," she said. "Give me a minute to breathe before I have to start this one."

"Whatever," he shrugged. "Just don't let it stay a wreck, all right? Think you can have it done by the time I get back?"

"Get back from what?" Toph asked.

She practically hear the grin spread across Xian's face. "Nothing," he said.

"Let me guess," she said sharply. "Gin and Chrisnele?"

"Don't be like that," he said. "Chrisnele never bothered you before. What's got you so upset?"

She tossed back her long black hair and strolled over to the kitchen. "Nothing," she said, picking up a rag. She scrubbed it over the rough wooden table. "I'm fine. I don't care what you do."

"Then I'll see you later," he said. He ruffled her hair like one might do to a very young child and left the house, slamming the door behind him.

Toph dropped the rag, gripping the edges of the counter. Her head swam with the sudden nauseating onset of a headache that seemed to pierce her across the bridge of her nose. She stumbled to a chair and sat heavily. For a moment she stayed still and frozen, almost dazed, but she drew her knees up and hugged them to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees.

She felt the tears smart long before she let them fall. Crying had never been her thing. Even when she was a child, she rarely cried. But for too long she had sat by in uncharacteristic silence, letting other people make decisions for her. And this is where it had left her.

Maybe she could fix this. Maybe she could convince Xian to be a better husband. He could become a real father to Haruhi. He could fix up their little house and reseed the fields and…

_ …and it wouldn't change anything_, she realized.

Her parents might not have been in love, but they cared for each other. Zuko and Katara were deeply in love. And Sokka…surely Sokka loved Suki.

She tried to imagine herself in love with her husband, or what it would be like if he loved her. But she couldn't see it. It was impossible.

She was trapped. She was trapped with a husband who didn't care about her and a baby that she wasn't sure she could raise.

_Why didn't I get a chance? _she thought. _Why didn't I get out of this? Why was I so stupid?  
_

Suddenly she thought of Sokka, of his funny laugh and his gentle hands and his kind voice.

_Let me take care of you. Come with me._

And that could never, ever happen.

Toph dropped her head. Her shoulders shook, and she sobbed silently into her thin knees with only her wide-eyed baby for company.

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**Author's Notes:**

Whoooooa...it's been a while since I worked on this bad boy. Sorry about that. But the good news about my hiatus is that WHAT UP, I AM MARRIED NOW. It's pretty awesome.

This chapter is a little disjointed compared to the others...let me know what you think I should fix!


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